The 1996 Gruaud Larose is a Bordeaux Blend from the renowned region of St Julien, Bordeaux, France. This red wine is produced by Gruaud Larose and has a 12.5% alcohol content. It has garnered praise for its complexity and aging potential, with professional reviewers highlighting its structured nature and rich flavor profile.
Jane Anson from janeanson.com awarded this wine a high score of 96, noting its youthful vigor even at 25 years old. She describes the wine as "firmly structured" and suggests decanting it immediately upon opening to allow the "autumnal but still-juicy cassis and bilberry fruits" to fully express themselves. Anson further highlights flavors such as tobacco, smoked earth, black truffles, and olive tapenade, which indicate a high-quality vintage favoring Cabernet Sauvignon. She advises giving the wine time in a carafe to let the tannins soften and reveal the wine's true beauty, summarizing that "there is real beauty here."
Lisa Perrotti-Brown from The Wine Independent gave the 1996 Gruaud Larose a score of 91. She describes the wine as medium to deep brick in color and notes its "surprisingly open-knit notes of baked plums, stewed blackberries, and blackcurrant pastilles." Perrotti-Brown also mentions hints of "dried roses, star anise, smoked meats, and crushed rocks." She finds the medium-bodied palate to be "mouth-coating," with mature black fruits, smoky and savory nuances, and "chewy, rugged tannins," leading to a long and earthy finish.
Overall, the 1996 Gruaud Larose is a structured and complex wine that still possesses youthful characteristics despite its age. Its rich flavors and well-integrated tannins make it a noteworthy choice for those seeking a mature Bordeaux with depth and character.
