Château Gruaud Larose Saint-Julien 2020 - 2nd Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The Château’s extensive vineyard is situated on one of the most magnificent and uniform plateaus of deep gravel in the entire Médoc. It has been owned by the Merlaut family since 1997. Few Médoc wines, even among the First Growths, can boast a terroir as uniform as Gruaud-Larose’s, despite its size. One might imagine that 80% of the vines produce the grand vin, but here the selection process is even more rigorous, a fact that is particularly evident in the grand vin, which is ideally full-bodied and harmonious, and has become even more precise over the past three years thanks to a new, more feminine generation of vineyard managers and cellar masters who are both more rigorous and inspired. By nature, it rarely dries out during long aging, and fifty-year-old bottles like the 1962 or the 1961 are still just as impressive.

Decanter

About the wine:

Precise and delicate, this wine possesses a seductive charm, slowly revealing aromas of blueberries and raspberries, before layers of salty minerality, licorice, and refreshing blueberries come into play, while tobacco and licorice add a savory touch. It is not immediately approachable—rather, it is calm and serene, slowly gaining depth and presence. The tannins are fine yet enveloping on the palate, providing structure. This is not a light wine, but it is extremely elegant with excellent texture. Impressive complexity and drama, always very serious, yet equally sublime. A luminous wine I would love to own. 2025–2052

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

Founded in the early 18th century by the Gruaud family, the estate passed into the hands of the Larose family in 1771, who added their name and commissioned the construction of the neoclassical château. In 1812, the Balguerie and Sarget families purchased the property; they later split, giving rise to Gruaud Larose-Bethmann and Gruaud Larose-Sarget. The estate was reunited in 1934, thanks to Désiré Cordier. Sold in 1983 to institutional investors, Gruaud Larose was acquired in 1997 by the family-owned Taillan Group (Merlaut), which today manages a vast vineyard of 82 hectares, almost entirely in a single block.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

More serious and visibly more structured than the smooth 2019, the 2020 Gruaud Larose opens in the glass with aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry intertwined with subtle notes of hot embers, pencil shavings, and violet, framed by a touch of elegant new oak. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with rich, powdery tannins and vibrant fruit flavors. It finishes with an impressive, penetrating finish. However, it seems patience will be required. 2030–2060

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Ideally situated, the vineyard occupies a plateau of deep gravel soil, perfectly uniform in composition, in the southern part of the commune of Saint-Julien, where the vines thrive remarkably well. Known for producing powerful wines in the 1980s and 1990s, often with a slightly animal-like character, the estate’s recent vintages offer more precise aromas. The Merlaut family has optimized the technical facilities that the Alcatel group, a short-lived owner, had installed. They have also chosen to give Gruaud Larose wines a more indulgent and rich profile, making them accessible while young. Recent vintages show progress in this direction, with wines that have also gained in precision. The pricing policy championed by Jean Merlaut ensures that Gruaud remains an accessible brand, which we welcome.

James Suckling

About the wine:

This wine has a pleasant smoothness and texture, with a medium- to full-bodied profile, plenty of fruit, and fine, velvety tannins. It’s delicious to drink now and will age beautifully. Truly seductive. It’s hard not to drink it now, but this is a wine for the cellar. Best enjoyed after 2025.

Le Figaro vins

About the wine:

A captivating, classic nose with shimmering aromas of perfectly ripe fruit, flowers, and After Eight, along with a hint of something dark and melancholic—fresh and sweet. On the palate, simply delicious, with a cashmere-like texture, notes of wild strawberries, prunes, cloves, and dark chocolate, velvety tannins, and a beautiful, lingering finish.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Attention to detail, subtlety, and finesse seem to come naturally at Gruaud-Larose, and yet, year after year, relentless dedication is required to achieve such a high standard. It is precisely this ability to produce great wines year after year that places Gruaud-Larose among the elite of Saint-Julien. Much like the bouquet, the palate displays high definition with tight yet integrated tannins that possess the substance necessary to carry the wine through the decades to come. A dense, youthful, precise, and powerful wine. Such relevance and continuity! Bravo. 2027–2045

Jean-Marc Quarin

About the wine:

Deep, intense, purple color. A very aromatic, delicate, fruity, pure, floral, and vanilla-scented nose. A hint of ink when the glass is swirled. Soft on the palate at first, very aromatic in the mid-palate, accompanied by a refined texture; the wine develops deliciously, offering great harmony as it engages all parts of the mouth. Noble, it melts on the palate, with a unique hint of licorice. It’s unbeatable.

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is refined and elegant, offering delicacy, a certain power (expressed with finesse), a subtle richness (well-controlled and refined), subtlety, and a refined, tight, and compact character. It features notes of juicy/fleshy blackberry, fleshy/vibrant strawberry, and a hint of cherry, combined with hints of flowers (lily/violet/almost white flowers), small fleshy/crushed berries, toasted almond, spices, and a subtle touch of cardamom and vanilla. The palate is fruity and offers freshness, minerality, good definition, richness, a certain juiciness, a fine, tangy structure, tension, precision, a lingering quality, as well as (restrained) richness, elegance, and control. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy cherry, redcurrant, and, more subtly, vibrant blackcurrant, combined with hints of violet, racy minerality, as well as subtle notes of lilac, sweet spices, cardamom, and discreet hints of toast, hazelnut, caramelization, and a very subtle hint of vanilla (in the background). The tannins are precise, elegant, beautifully integrated, and offer a touch of smoothness. Good length and persistence. A refined texture on the finish and in the aftertaste.