Chateau Gruaud Larose 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2023

A complete knockout of a wine in 2023. Deep, vibrant purple in colour. Lots of milk chocolate, some exotic spices and black fruit touches on the nose, along with floral scents of roses and violets - smells gorgeous. Supple and filling, an immediate weight and texture on the palate, thick silk and ripe fruit, massy but then almost straight away quite clean and crisp. Forward and focussed, tannins RE supportive but so well integrated into the wine - almost a seamless expression - with plenty of underlying power. It’s delicious. Very drinkable, finessed and restrained, nothing overdone, no harshness. Everything feels in its place. Juicy and succulent cherry, blackcurrant and blueberry with high mouthwatering acidity. A great wine, I love it because it’s layered and lifted, you can feel the sculpting with muscles on show and it feels very ‘put together’. There’s lots of strict Cabernet, but this has a touch of plushness which you can't help but smile at. A top buy in 2023. 40% grand production, taken from 60% of the estate. 15% press wine.

The 2023 Gruaud Larose is silky, deep and exquisite. It's a wine of superb balance and class. Plush contours and wonderfully vibrant fruit are the signatures. Crème de cassis, chocolate, new leather and lavender kiss of French oak play off a core of dark-fleshed fruit. Gruaud Larose is one of the most expressive wines in Saint-Julien.

The 2023 Gruaud Larose has turned out beautifully, unwinding in the glass with complex aromas of cassis, dark berries, burning embers, petroleum jelly and violets. Medium- to full-bodied, it's suave and polished, with sweet tannins, ripe acids and a seamless, charming profile. Checking in at a modest 12.6% alcohol, this blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot and 3.5% Cabernet Franc is the result of an extended block-by-block harvest that began on September 11 and only concluded on October 3.

Vibrant colour that speaks of a great En Primeur wine, with the bright acidities that seem typical in these appellations of 2023. More subdued than some sibling St Juliens, this has a serious feel, with the Cabernets very much on the savoury, stately side, sinewy and with touches of raspberry leaf and peony, fragrant and floral. Plenty of ageing capacity ahead, but don't feel that you will have to wait too long to begin drinking. Old school and delicous. The Cabernet levels are above 80% as has been true for the last few years, a result of the vines coming in to the right age after extensive replanting.

Cassis, graphite, sappy tobacco, damp earth, and violets all emerge from the 2023 Château Gruaud Larose, a classic, quintessential Saint-Julien that ranks with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Based on 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, and 2.5% Cabernet Franc and aged 18 months in 95% new French oak, it's medium-bodied and nicely concentrated on the palate, with integrated tannins and acidity, solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish. This rock-solid effort will hit maturity around age 10 and have 30 years of overall prime drinking. Drink 2033-2066.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Gruaud Larose leaps with vibrant notes of cassis, fresh blackberries, and mulberries giving way to nuances of tapenade, iris, pencil shavings, and iron ore. The palate is light-bodied and airy, with beautiful poise and soft silky tannins, delivering a lively burst of mineral and red berry notes on the finish. This is nicely done! The blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, and 2.5% Cabernet Franc, with pH 3.80.

The 2023 Gruaud Larose, matured in 95% new oak for 18 months, has an attractive bouquet marked by pure black fruit laced with pressed iris and peony, a touch of clove in the background. Fine delineation, and the oak is neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with smooth tannins, with hints of tea leaves. Not a huge amount of grip, but this is very harmonious. Lightly spiced with cedar and tobacco notes toward the “cool” red berry finish, this is a typical contemporary Gruaud Larose that will need just four to five years before it is ready to drink.