Tasting Notes
Vinous 93
The 2016 Gruaud Larose has a beautiful nose that is much more pure than the vintages from the noughties. It’s well-defined with blackberry, blueberry and crushed violet scents. This is much more floral in style. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, supple and poised, with a gentle build in the mouth, but, to use a word I wrote before, there is something sedate about this Gruaud; it doesn’t want to create too much fuss. Lovely. Tasted at the Gruaud Larose vertical at the château in February 2023.
Anticipated maturity: 2026-2056
Robert Parker 94
The 2016 Gruaud Larose is blended of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with notes of red and black cherries, warm plums and freshly crushed blackcurrants plus hints of violets, oolong tea, aniseed and tilled soil with a waft of garrigue. Medium-bodied, the palate struts tons of elegantly fragrant red and black fruit flavors with a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and loads of freshness, finishing long and perfumed.
Anticipated maturity: 2021-2043
