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Gruaud Larose 1986
HED0373
75cl
12.5%
Out of Stock
Saint-Julien Second Growth Château Gruaud Larose has, like many estates, had a long and variable history but the 1980s were undoubtedly a golden era, with both their 1982 and 1986 releases being considered amongst the very finest produced on the Left Bank of Bordeaux. This is now perfectly in its drinking window but should have at least another decade of cellaring potential.
The 1986 Gruaud Larose is a vintage that has cropped up several times at various dinners, and after the splendid 1982, it vied with the 1989 as the best of the decade. A magnificent-looking imperial is poured at Zoldering in Amsterdam. This indicates that a proportion of the fruit has faded in recent years, rendering the aromatics a bit distant and standoffish, in direct contrast to the 1982 that doesn`t disguise its desire to give sensory pleasure. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins that are typical of this vintage. A little austere at first, it requires time to open in the glass, black fruit conveying a Graves-like personality, warm gravel/terracotta notes infusing the slightly faded black fruit, perhaps just a little Brettanomyces towards the finish. Maybe a bit unyielding for some Bordeaux lovers, it is a vintage I would broach in the near future. Gentleman`s claret? Tasted in January 2024. - Neil Martin
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