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"The wine of kings, the king of wines" is the motto that adorns the label of Château Gruaud Larose, one of the finest wines in the Saint-Julien appellation. Founded by Abbé Gruaud in 1725, in 1781 he bequeathed it to his nephew, Chevalier de Larose, who gave it his name.
Gained the title of Second Grand Cru Classé in 1855, it has been owned by the Merlaut family since 1997. The 82-hectare vineyard is planted on deep Garonne gravel outcrops, and is planted with 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. This type of terroir is ideal for producing wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Sarget de Gruaud Larose is the Second wine of the Domaine, vinified with the same care.
The wines of Château Gruaud Larose are noble, racy and complex, allowing fruit and finesse to express themselves, confirming its Second status.
This vintage began with a historically rainy winter. An average year of rain fell from the 2019 harvest to the end of March 2020. A tropical spring led to an early budburst, and this advance was maintained throughout the campaign. The frequency and intensity of rainfall from Easter to Pentecost, and an episode of hail localized at Saint-Julien on April 18, made work difficult. Heavy mildew pressure set in.
Fine weather appeared before the end of spring. A sharp halt to rainfall at the summer solstice was followed by a long, dry, hot and water-stressed period. Two life-saving storms in mid-August and early September provided the ideal scenario for the end of the vintage. The first brought the water needed to revive the vines' activity, while the Second kept the berries tense so that they reached the desired ripeness. The first Merlots are harvested on September 14th. A tailor-made harvest schedule enabled us to avoid harvesting under the few showers of the last fortnight, and to finish before the rains arrived in October.
