Chateau Gruaud Larose 2019

Blend: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc

Vinous: 96
The 2019 Gruaud-Larose has a cohesive, very harmonious bouquet with crushed stone and tobacco infusing the black fruit; cedar scents surfacing with further aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a succulent entry, sweeter than expected but not cloying, liquorice and touches of black pepper furnishing the long and quite decadent finish. One for the long haul. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

Vinous: 96

The 2019 Gruaud-Larose has a cohesive, very harmonious bouquet with crushed stone and tobacco infusing the black fruit; cedar scents surfacing with further aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a succulent entry, sweeter than expected but not cloying, liquorice and touches of black pepper furnishing the long and quite decadent finish. One for the long haul. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

James Suckling: 94
Attractive aromas of ripe dark and blue fruit, vanilla, dark chocolate, hazelnuts and wet soil. Dense and compact with layers of polished tannins that hold long and even on the palate. Firm finish with notes of chocolate and crushed stones. Pretty finish. Best after 2026.

Jeb Dunnuck: 94
I wasn't able to taste the 2019 Château Gruaud Larose from barrel, but it's certainly an impressive Saint-Julien in bottle. Deep purple, with beautiful cassis and darker raspberry fruits as well as spice, dried flowers, and cedary incense notes, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness carrying plenty of sweet tannins, a deep, concentrated mid-palate, and beautiful length. It's not the dense blockbuster style of the 2018 and is much more elegant and pretty, with plenty of up-front charm. It's beautifully done. It's going to benefit from just short-term bottle age and have 25+ years of prime drinking. Best after 2024.

Jeb Dunnuck: 94

I wasn't able to taste the 2019 Château Gruaud Larose from barrel, but it's certainly an impressive Saint-Julien in bottle. Deep purple, with beautiful cassis and darker raspberry fruits as well as spice, dried flowers, and cedary incense notes, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness carrying plenty of sweet tannins, a deep, concentrated mid-palate, and beautiful length. It's not the dense blockbuster style of the 2018 and is much more elegant and pretty, with plenty of up-front charm. It's beautifully done. It's going to benefit from just short-term bottle age and have 25+ years of prime drinking. Best after 2024.