Château Gruaud Larose 1995

Intense aromas of crushed blackberries, licorice and Spanish cedar. Full-bodied, concentrated and structured. Give it some time. — ’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.

Light, with rustic tannins and a hint of tartness in the berries. The nose, with its tobacco, earth, cassis and barnyard aromatics, is fine. But on the palate and in the finish, the fruit is losing the race to the tannins. Time will probably not improve this wine. At 19 years of age, it is what it is.

Deep, saturated garnet-purple. Wonderful terroir-driven bouquet, fine spice, cedar notes, Dominican tobacco, animal nuances, a hint of dried oregano. Fine, delicate palate, silky tannins, very noble astringency, medium-bodied, very long finish, captivating for its finesse.

96: Barrel sample (18/20): fine bouquet marked by ripe fruit, very dense and complex, with an emphasis on elegance. On the palate, delicately textured, again very dense, plenty of spice, a fine currant note, still a bit firm in its sandy extract, which shows great potential. Reminiscent of the glorious ’66 Gruaud! 99: Currently reticent and only revealing its brilliance on the palate, will become a very feminine Grand Cru, with cassis, plum and currants on the finish (18/20). 02: The feminine phase three years ago is over. Now it’s back to its “old self”! Powerful, almost sandy tannins, pure character and the typical great Gruaud aroma. Very similar to the 1982 and currently just as unruly. 03: Rudimentary, barnyardy Cabernet bouquet, explosive and slightly green, needs plenty of air because it shows an artisanal basic character. Better understood on the palate: fleshy, good astringency, interplay of red and blue berries, black pepper, shows claws and lots of potential. For now, it’s rather disappointing compared to its rivals and lacks class. (17/20). 05: A double magnum at Mäggi Haller’s birthday. Little written – much drunk. 06: Deep, saturated garnet-purple. Superb terroir bouquet, fine spice, cedar scent, Dominican tobacco, animal hints, a touch of dried oregano. Fine, delicate palate, silky tannins and a very noble astringency, medium-bodied yet very long. Impresses more with its finesse. (18/20). 14: Magnum: dark, saturated wine-red. The nose is initially still reductive, fine traces of mercaptan and tar, beneath that black plums, a nuance of licorice and lactic sweetness. On the palate also showing soft acidity, which gives the wine fullness as well as charm, focused, long finish. It has already found its harmony. (18/20). 18: Magnum. Still a robust wine-red with relatively few maturity tones. The bouquet is open and spicy. There are still surprisingly many fruit notes, half red and half blue-berried. Everything is mingled with a beautiful, almost perfumed Saint-Julien-typical cedar scent. On the medium-bodied palate with surprisingly fine tannins for this Gruaud era. The astringency is mature and balanced; overall it appears quite feminine. At peak now and for a good further 20 years. (18/20).

Deep, spicy, aromatic bouquet: cassis, smoke, plum, tobacco, leather. Balanced, dense, elegant, aromatic palate with good tannins, powerful and varied aromatics, long, slightly bitter finish. 18/20 drink - 2030

The aromatics on this stately 26-year-old wine are just so welcoming. Autumnal leaf, delicate finely-boned tannins, savoury black fruits, it feels like you can only be in St Julien, with a caressing if not hugely persistent structure compared to the 1996. What you get here is a wine with juice, finesse and balance, all extremely moreish if subtle in its charms. Harvest September 15 to October 4. Philippe Carmaigac, cellar master, 35% new oak.

Logo on the cork: JL (Lafitte Liège) Pale red colour, evolved. Intense, fruity nose. Juicy on the attack, smooth mid-palate; the wine turns a touch firm on the finish. Medium length. Should have been drunk by now.

Revealing more grip and tannin since bottling, the 1995 Gruaud-Larose shows a dark ruby color and a nose of sweet black cherries, licorice, earth, and spice. Rich, with medium to full body, high tannin, and subtle oak in the background, the 1995 is nearly as structured and tannic as the 1996. The two vintages are more similar than dissimilar. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020. Gruaud-Larose was purchased in 1997 by Jacques Merlaut, the well-known proprietor of many other châteaux, including Chasse-Spleen. Merlaut was not responsible for making the 1996 or 1995, but did oversee their élevage and bottling.