CHATEAU GRUAUD-LAROSE 2eme Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 1989 Bottle

Description

The 1989 vintage of Château Gruaud-Larose is a celebrated wine renowned for its elegance and complexity, earning high praise from critics. With striking aromas of sweet blackberry, cigar box, and cedar, it enchants with a beautiful deep colour. The medium to full-bodied palate features a rich core of fruit, lively acidity, and finely integrated tannins, ensuring its longevity and potential for further ageing. Notable scores for this vintage include 92 points from Wine Advocate, 90 points from James Suckling, and 89 points from VINOUS, solidifying its reputation as a remarkable example of Bordeaux excellence and a classic representation of the Saint-Julien terroir.

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Château Gruaud-Larose, a renowned 2ème Grand Cru Classé in the Bordeaux region, specifically in Saint-Julien, represents excellence in winemaking. Founded in the 18th century, this estate has a rich history and is celebrated for its powerful and complex red wines. The vineyard spans about 82 hectares, predominantly planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc grapes. Gruaud-Larose wines are characterised by their deep colour, rich fruit flavours, and mature tannins, making them age-worthy and suitable for long-term cellaring. The estate's traditional methods, combined with modern techniques, ensure quality and consistency. With a legacy of excellence, Château Gruaud-Larose remains a prominent figure in Bordeaux's fine wine scene, appreciated by enthusiasts and collectors alike.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 92 points
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Drink Date: 2020 - 2045
The 1989 Gruaud Larose is evolving very slowly, and its impressively youthful structure and vibrant flavors auger very well for its future. Offering up aromas of sweet berry fruit, cigar wrapper, loamy soil and cedar, it's medium to full-bodied, with a rich core of fruit, lively acids and fine but still present tannins. As this develops in the cellar, it's showing more plenitude and mid-palate volume than it did a decade ago, and for patient readers this is emerging as a comparatively underestimated 1989 Médoc.

VINOUS 89 points
The 1989 Gruaud Larose is a wine that I have tasted a dozen or so times since back in 2001, most recently in 2012. The bottle was poured against several Californian wines that might be unfair, however, I do feel that this vintage has maybe peaked several years ago. Here it was well defined on the nose as usual, with scents of undergrowth, sandalwood and a touch of sage. It certainly lacks the joie-de-vivre that I expect. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, nicely judged acidity and quite compact black fruit, though this is a little more staid than before, certainly lacking the flamboyance of the 1990 Gruaud (for example). It is a thoroughly decent Gruaud that just fails to engage the same way as previous examples. Tasted over dinner at Chez Bruce. - Neal Martin