Gruaud Larose - Saint-Julien 2020

Vinous

95-95

byNeal Martinthe2/28/2025

The 2020 Gruaud Larose is realizing the potential I saw from barrel and again just after bottling. It is generous on the nose with baked black cherries, boysenberry and subtle floral scents. Cedar and forest floor aromas come through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and crisp acidity, quite structured and firm. There is an abiding sense of symmetry on the finish that is very appealing. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

The Wine Independent

96

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe12/3/2023

The opaque purple-black colored 2020 Gruaud Larose comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of crushed black cherries, juicy blackberries, and fresh black currants, followed by hints of sassafras, dark chocolate, and violets. Medium-bodied, the palate is very tightly coiled at this nascent stage, featuring firm, ripe, grainy tannins, and beautiful freshness to support the bright black berry and floral layers, finishing long and fragrant.

Alexandre Ma

95

byAlexandre Mathe4/18/2023

Wine Advocate

96

byWilliam Kelleythe4/6/2023

A serious, more obviously structured effort than the suave 2019, the 2020 Gruaud Larose opens in the glass with aromas of blackcurrants and blackberries mingled with subtle hints of burning embers, pencil shavings and violets framed by a deft touch of classy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with rich, powdery tannins and vibrant fruit flavors, it concludes with an impressively penetrating finish. However, it appears likely to require patience.

Wine Spectator

95

byJames Molesworththe3/31/2023

Rock-solid, with a core of dark plum, boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors held together with cedar, savory, tobacco and singed apple wood notes that add texture and energy through the finish. Built for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2030 through 2040. 9,250 cases made.

Jeb DUNNUCK

96

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/30/2023

Coming from the talented Virginie Salette (the head winemaker since 2017) and tiny yields of 32 hectoliters per hectare, the 2020 Château Gruaud Larose is 79% Cabernet, 14% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, which continues the trend at this estate toward more and more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Beautifully done, with a terrific sense of finesse, it offers a great nose of both red and black fruit as well as leafy tobacco, spring flowers, licorice, and spicy oak. Pure, medium to full-bodied, and wonderfully balanced, with fine tannins, it shows the focused, inward, almost understated style of the vintage without any rusticity or austerity. It needs a solid 7-8 years of bottle age, if not a decade, and is going to be very long-lived. Bravo.

The Wine Cellar Insider

94

byJeff Levethe3/22/2023

Cigar box, smoke, herbs, cassis, espresso and blackberries with a savory edge open the wine aromatically. The palate offers freshness, layers of ripe, spicy currants and peppery blackberries with chewy tannins that really hang with you, providing length, vibrancy and refinement in the finish. This is going to age and evolve for decades. Drink from 2027-2060.

Alexandre Ma

95

byAlexandre Mathe3/15/2023

Wines Critic

97

byRaffaele Vecchionethe3/10/2023

Elegant with a Bohemian nature alternating delicate mixed red flowers with hints of cut cedar, pink grapefruit, vetiver, sandalwood and white pepper. Full bodied, polished tannins of remarkably fine grain and an honest, genuine finale which will come out over time. Extremely high quality grapes which have been brought to the glass in a truly knowledgeable manner. A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Better from 2025.

Vinous

95

byAntonio Gallonithe2/24/2023

The 2020 Gruaud-Larose is a powerful, dense wine. Super-ripe dark cherry, kirsch, menthol, licorice, rose petal and espresso infuse the palate with tons of intensity. Unctuous and flamboyant, the 2020 also offers a good bit of energy to keep things in balance. The 2020 is very much an extrovert, a gorgeous extrovert at that. Sweet floral and spice accents, along with a kick of sweet French oak, linger.

Vinous

93.00

byNeal Martinthe2/15/2023

The 2020 Gruaud Larose is emblematic of a cleaner, more precise winemaking compared to a decade ago. The bouquet is quite perfumed and beautifully delineated, maybe not the most complex within the appellation, yet very nicely focused. The palate is precise and minerally on the entry, with more tension than the 2019 perhaps, a little more salinity. A combination of Japanese nori and black pepper enlivens the finish. This may well warrant a higher score in the future. There's still a little way to go before this estate reaches the heights of the 1982 for example, but it's definitely on track.

Jamessuckling.com

96

byJames Sucklingthe1/16/2023

A lovely softness and texture to this wine with a medium to full body, plenty of fruit and fine velvety tannins. It’s lovely to taste now and will age beautifully. Really seductive. Hard not to drink now but one for the cellar. Best to try after 2025.

Wine Spectator

95

byJames Molesworththe11/30/2022

Rock-solid, with a core of dark plum, boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors held together with cedar, savory, tobacco and singed apple wood notes that add texture and energy through the finish. Built for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2030 through 2040.

Vinous

92-94

byNeal Martinthe6/25/2021

The 2020 Gruaud Larose was cropped at 31hl/ha with one-third of the production in the Grand Vin, picked 14-29 September. The 13.18% alcohol is lower than recent vintages. It is quite tightly wound on the nose with blackberry, blueberry, iris petal, cedar and marine/seaweed aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins on the entry and modest depth. That marine element translates right to the end with a dash of black pepper on the finish. Tasted at the château.

Decanter.com

95

byJane Ansonthe5/25/2021

Elegant yet driven with gentle power, nothing going overboard or trying too hard. This takes a beat, then it comes strongly - evident spice and flesh, full of raspberry, blueberry, blackcurrant pastille, fennel, hawthorn and liquorice. The tannins build up through the palate and press in on the final moments. Virginie Salette winemaker since 2017. A yield of 32hl/ha. Vinify at around 22-23°C, so an extremely low and slow extraction. Harvest was from September 14 to 29. A big shouldered St-Julien but with a wide nuance of flavours.

Anthocyanes

94-96

byYohan Castaingthe5/11/2021

Très joli bouquet de rose, de violette, de fruits frais avec des notes légèrement épicées en finale. Bouche juteuse, de la tension, des tanins structurants, parfois un peu trop, mais un ensemble homogène et délicat. Beau potentiel de garde.

Bernard Burtschy

96-97

byBernard Burtschythe5/10/2021

Falstaff

92-94

byPeter Moserthe5/10/2021

Blaubeere und Alkoholkirschen, zurückhaltendes boisée. Etwas Pflaume. Betont cremiger Ansatz, dann ein sehr feines Tannin in zurückhaltender Menge, fließt rund und samten, begleitet von milder Säure und einer saftigen Frucht mittlerer Inten- sität. Guter, taktil-mineralisch erfrischter Abgang.

My Bettane + Desseauve

96-97

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/7/2021