1971 Château Gruaud Larose
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Tasting notes
The 1971 Gruaud Larose has a similar nose to the bottle tasted just several weeks earlier. This ex-château bottle is ferrous, more than two previous encounters; savory with melted tar, cigar box and graphite. Good definition but the fruit concentration is not at the level expected. The palate is medium-bodied with quite masculine, obdurate tannins, not as “melted” as I found previously and with a little hardness towards the finish. Tasted at the château.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Gruaud-Larose represented a good example of the 1971 vintage. It has been fully mature for over a decade and now reveals the telltale brown color of approaching decline. This vintage of Gruaud was fruity, plummy, spicy, soft, and agreeable. It has now begun to dry out. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 12/88.
About the producer
Ch. Gruaud Larose is a Second Growth estate in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux. It is often considered one of the best-value Left Bank estates, with the wines occasionally matching those of the First Growths.