Gruaud Larose

Château Gruaud Larose

Classification: Second Growth (2eme Cru)
Château Gruaud Larose dates back to the early 1700s when a Knight named Joseph Stanislas Gruard owned the land. It was administered by two Gruauds; one an Abbot and the other a magistrate. Abbot Gruaud was a colourful character and was renowned for his sense of humour and eccentricity. Each year he would hoist a flag of the country he was selling his wines to at the top of the château tower. The wines of Château Gruaud Larose have been famous for centuries – Thomas Jefferson favoured them and called them the 'Old Gruaud Wines' .

Château Gruaud Larose is inland from Châteaux Ducru Beaucaillou and Beychevelle and its vineyards cover 189 acres. The grape varieties planted are 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. The soil is a layer of Garonne gravel (Günz) over chalk and clay. The geological structure of the soil at Gruaud Larose is particularly rare as it has a uniform layer of gravelly clay 6 metres deep over the entire Domaine.

Wine Style
The wine is full bodied, but elegant and smooth with lots of fruit when young. The wine ages very well and is one of Saint Julien's most popular wines. Its large production has a quality that is consistently very high and it is one of the most continuously successful wines produced in Bordeaux, regardless of vintage.

Owner: Groupe Bernard Taillan
Château Website: www.gruaud-larose.com 
Oenologist: Georges Pauli