Château Gruaud-Larose in the Saint Julien appelation is one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) in 1855 classification. We toured the winery and enjoyed a seated tasting.
Château Gruaud-Larose
The era of Château Gruaud-Larose began in 1757 when three members of the Gruaud family, a knight (Joseph Stanislas Gruaud), a priest, and a judge, owned the estate with 260 acres of vineyards. They bottled the wines at two different estates: Chevalier de Gruaud, which was produced by the priest and Abbe Gruaud produced by the judge.
The judge died in 1778 and his son-in-law, Joseph Sebastion La Rose, became his heir. From then on the estate was referred to as Château Gruaud-Larose. After the pastor’s death, the estate was split into two separate entities, known as Guaud-Larose Sarget and Gruaud-Larose Faure.
In 1917, the Sarget portion was bought by the Cordier Family, wealthy négociants in Bordeaux. In 1934 Désiré Cordier bought the Faure portion. The Cordiers were able to recreate the original Guraud-Larose estate which became their flagship.
In 1997, Château Guraud-Larose was purchased by another important Bordeaux négociant family headed by Jacques Merlaut, who put together a portfolio of properties under the Taillan wine trading
group. The Taillan Group, a family business in which Jacques Merlaut’s granddaughter Claire Villars-Lurton has taken on a significant role, now owns several estates in the Bordeaux region. Enologist Georges Pauli continues to run the Château Gruaud-Larose with great success.
Today, the estate has 200 acres under vine planted with the traditional Left Bank varieties Cabernet Sauvignon 61%, Merlot 29%, Cabernet Franc 7%, and Petit Verdot 3% . The vineyard is unique as the estate has one of the largest vineyards in all of Bordeaux with most of its vines in one single block. I quote from the château’s website: “Since the vintage 2019, we have been implementing the measures necessary for the conversion to organic farming. We also use biodynamic tools and practices: use of herbal teas from different plants as alternatives to fight against certain parasites and diseases.”
Wine-searcher Prices in US$
2020: 096
2015: 129
2010: 201
2009: 183
2006: 126
Tasting
Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
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Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
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