2004 Château Gruaud Larose, St Julien, Bordeaux

Description

Fantastic! Jean Merlaut's ownership since 1997 has seen these wines get better and better, culminating in this tour de force. Smoky ripe blackcurrants and sexy integrated sweet oak on the enticing nose is followed by a dense but pure palate with full-bodied fruit and a defined linear core. It is elegant and sophisticated with great charm-one of the great value wines of the 2004 vintage.

"Intriguing, complex nose with layers of black and red fruit and toasted oak, tobacco, spice and alluring minerals. Beautifully textured with an airy lift and vitality."
Decanter-Dec 2007- Wines of the Year

Colour Red

Sweetness Dry

Vintage 2004

Maturity Ready - mature

Grape List Cabernet Sauvignon (58%),Merlot (33%),Cabernet Franc (5%),Petit Verdot (3%),Malbec (1%)

Body Full Bodied

Producer Château Gruaud-Larose

Critics reviews

Robert Parker 87/100

This estate continues to under perform, particularly in view of what the previous owners accomplished. Nothing made today resembles the great vintages of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, or even the top-flight 2000. Nearly every St.-Julien chateau is making better wine, and Gruaud Larose needs a wake-up call. A stricter selection might be a place to start. The dark ruby/garnet-colored 2004 reveals an herbal nose displaying hints of dirty saddle leather intermixed with roasted herbs, spice, black cherries, currants, and a green pepper-like character. It is a lightweight effort with medium body, superficial depth, crisp acidity, and sharp tannins in the finish. While it will keep for 10-15 years, and may become slightly more complex, it remains a major disappointment.Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 29/06/2007

Robert Parker, RobertParker.com (Jun 2007)