Château Gruaud Larose - Saint-Julien 1982

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

par Neal Martin le 31/01/2013

Tasted at Pebbles/Zachy’s 1982 dinner in Hong Kong. I have lost count how many times I have not only tasted this wine, but how many times that I have enjoyed it. Here, this bottle is a little more backward and Pauillac-like in style with vibrant black fruit, crushed stone and a little burnt toast. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. It is beautifully balanced with the vivacity and outgoing personality of Leoville Poyferre ’82. There are lovely tobacco and cooked meat notes towards the long, persistent finish. I have written several times how damn delicious this Gruaud is – so don’t let me bore you again. Tasted November 2012.

Wine Advocate

97 / 100

par Neal Martin le 31/07/2012

Tasted at the chateau at their “-2” vertical. The 1982 has long been one of my favourite Bordeaux wines, let alone one of the top Saint Juliens. It just has an irresistible bouquet that you cannot help falling in love with, beautifully defined with immense clarity, here displaying aromas of blackberry, raspberry, minerals, sous-bois and a touch of leather. It hardly seems to have aged! The palate is medium-bodied with a superb arching structure that does not impede upon the fruit. It has a firm but insistent grip, a saline touch towards the finish that being ex-Chateau, shows more backward and with greater, almost Pauillac-like structure than I have encountered with bottles in the UK. It remains one of the great wines of the vintage and it has another 30 to 40-years ahead. Tasted March 2012.

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/06/2009

A massive wine that is clearly of first-growth quality in this vintage, the 1982 Gruaud Larose remains a youngster. A broodingly dense, thick, unctuously textured, inky/plum/garnet/purple color offers up scents of beef blood, steak tartare, cassis, herbs, tobacco, and underbrush. One of the most concentrated wines of the vintage (as well as one of the most concentrated Bordeaux’s I have ever tasted), it is a huge, full-bodied, weighty, rich wine whose tannins are getting silkier and silkier. It appears set for another 30-40 years of life. This behemoth is a singularly profound example of Gruaud Larose that continues to justify its legendary status. Anticipated maturity: now-2050. Release price: ($140.00/case)

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

par Robert Parker le 31/01/2003

Along with the 1961, one of the two greatest Gruaud-Laroses I have ever tasted. It needs decanting of a good one to two hours in advance not only for aeration purposes, but also to get it off of its very heavy sediment. The color remains a murky, opaque purple/garnet. The phenomenal nose smells like a Spanish tapas bar with notes of new saddle leather, licorice, tar, creme de cassis, olives, and grilled meats. Extremely full-bodied with a viscous tecxture, remarkable levels of glycerin, and fabulous concentration, the 1982 Gruaud-Larose is still an adolescent in terms of its development. The finish is filled with extract and tannin in a large, massively scaled style. I misidentified this wine as a first-growth when tasted blind ... it is that compelling. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025. Last tasted, 11/02.

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/06/2000

An extraordinarily powerful, backward wine with unlimited up-side potential, the opaque plum/purple/black-colored 1982 Gruaud-Larose exhibits an explosive nose of new saddle leather, plums, prunes, black cherry jam, chocolate, steak tartare, and roasted espresso. Unbelievably powerful, thick, and intense, with full body, mouth-searing tannin levels, a grilled steak-like flavor, and a huge, intense finish, this is a monster, blockbuster 1982 that still needs 5-7 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030. It should prove to be one of the most profound Gruaud-Laroses made in the twentieth century. In quality, it is a first-growth.

Wine Spectator

94 / 100

par James Suckling le 30/11/1998

One of the best wines ever made at this estate. Dense ruby color with a slight amber edge. Intense grape, berry and raspberry aromas. Full-bodied, with loads of velvety tannins and a long, ripe fruit and mineral aftertaste.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now.

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

par Robert Parker le 31/12/1995

When I most recently tasted this wine I mistook it for a first-growth Pauillac. It gets my nod as the greatest Gruaud-Larose of the last half century. With decanting of one hour (the wine's heavy sediment makes it necessary), this opaque black/garnet-colored wine offers up staggeringly intense aromas of licorice, tar, over-ripe cassis, olives, and new saddle leather. Extremely full-bodied, with an unctuous texture and layers of concentrated fruit that ooze from the glass, this is a spectacularly rich, thrilling Gruaud-Larose. Still youthful, it exhibits no signs of age except for the fact that it has shed considerable amounts of tannin. This large-scaled, massive St.-Julien should hit its plateau of maturity in several more years and last through the first 20+ years of the next century . This is a whopper! Tasted 15 times since bottling with consistent notes.

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

par Robert Parker le 31/10/1994

Tasted 11 Times Since Bottling With Consistent Notes Probably the most massive, concentrated Gruaud-Larose produced in the post World War II era, the densely colored 1982 displays a tight but highly promising bouquet of jammy black plums, Asian spices, truffles, and licorice. Massively rich and incredibly well-endowed with layer upon layer of juicy, thick, unctuous fruit flavors buttressed by frightfully high tannin levels and plenty of alcohol, glycerin, and body, this huge wine needs at least 5-7 more years to reach its plateau of maturity. It boasts remarkable concentration, and should drink well through the first two decades of the next century.

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

par Robert Parker le 31/12/1992

Last Tasted 7/82 More and more I am convinced that this is the finest Gruaud-Larose I have ever tasted. It is a massive example of this property's wine, which even in lighter years tends to be robust and full. The color is opaque, dark garnet/purple, and with airing, the firmly structured nose offers aromas of super-ripe black fruits, licorice, herbs, and leather. In the mouth, this large-proportioned wine exhibits exceptional concentration, blazing definition, gobs of glycerin, and enough tannin to guarantee another 25-30 years of evolution. While some might enjoy it now, I suggest waiting for another 5-6 years for more of its tannins to melt away. It has already thrown a heavy sediment, which is no doubt related to the deeply pigmented color and highly concentrated style.