Château Gruaud-Larose is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. It is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.
The property has a younger history than most of its cohorts. Its origins date to 1725 and the knight Joseph Stanislas Gruaud. The property was called Fond-Bedeau, and was administered by two Gruauds; one a priest and the other a magistrate. The magistrate, the Chevalier du Gruaud, died in 1778 and his part of the property was deeded to Joseph Sebastian de La Rose, who renamed this property Gruaud-La Rose or Gruaud-Larose. This piece was classified as a Second Growth in 1855.
Control of the property was split among multiple descendants, but the property remained intact until 1867 when it was split into Château Gruaud-Larose-Sarget (after the Baron Sarget) and Château Gruaud-Larose-Faure (after Adrien Faure, who married one Sophie Bethmann, heiress to a portion of the estate).
The two châteaux were reunited by the Cordier family, who purchased the Sarget piece in 1917 and the Faure piece in 1935; the château became a centerpiece of the many Cordier properties along with Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey and Château Talbot.
In 1983 it was purchased by the Compagnie de Suez, and in 1993 by Alcatel-Alsthom, and in 1997 by the Taillan Group, headed by Jacques Merlaut, which owns a number of other properties, most notably Château Haut-Bages-Liberal.
The vineyards cover 82 hectares (200 acres) and are planted with 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec.
The Château produces a second wine called Sarget du Château Gruaud-Larose, or Larose de Gruaud [citation needed - see Talk page]. Very confusing, there seems to be a third label of this chateau's second wine: La Roseraie de Gruaud Larose. For example found on http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-55004-0001-la-roseraie-de-gruaud-larose-saint-julien-france
Wine Advocate #103 Feb 1996
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
89
This massive, backward wine appears to resist aging. Still bitterly tannic, impressively-colored (dark garnet with no amber), and monstrous on the palate, this wine will either turn out like the outstanding 1928 and begin to reveal some charm and character around age 40, or it will dry out, much like the 1948. It needs another 5-10 years of cellaring. The excruciatingly painful level of tannin makes this wine an enigma. It is likely to be appreciated only by the most patient Bordeaux enthusiasts. I would not be surprised to see some wine writer touting its greatness around 2025, long after most of it had been consumed and found to be pleasureless. Owners should try not to touch a bottle before 2005.
