The 2016 Gruaud Larose from Bordeaux's St Julien sub-region is a compelling Bordeaux blend crafted by the producer Gruaud Larose. This red wine, sealed with a cork, has garnered attention for its complex and layered profile.
James Suckling gives this wine a score of 94, noting its "sweet-tobacco and currant character with some earth on the nose." He describes it as full-bodied with "firm and chewy tannins and a long and flavorful finish," suggesting it is "still closed and complex" but has the potential to evolve beautifully by 2022 ("jamessuckling.com").
Matching Suckling's score, Lisa Perrotti-Brown from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate also awards it 94 points. She highlights its blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, describing it as "medium to deep garnet-purple colored." The wine "leaps from the glass with notes of red and black cherries, warm plums and freshly crushed blackcurrants plus hints of violets, oolong tea, aniseed and tilled soil with a waft of garrigue." Perrotti-Brown praises its "elegantly fragrant red and black fruit flavors" and "firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins," concluding with a "long and perfumed" finish ("Robert Parker's Wine Advocate").
Wine Spectator's review, scoring it 93, emphasizes the wine's wide range of fruit flavors, including "red currant, blackberry, black cherry and açaí berry." The review notes a "very sleek iron note lurking underneath" and a finish that "uses a fine singed wood stitching to pull the fruit and minerality together" ("Wine Spectator").
Wine Enthusiast also rates the wine 94, describing it as "dense, smoky" with "powerful tannins." The wine is noted for its "rich black fruits and concentrated tannins cut with final acidity," suggesting it will drink best from 2025 ("Wine Enthusiast").
Jeff Leve from The Wine Cellar Insider gives it a slightly lower 92 points, appreciating its "tobacco, espresso and dark cassis nose" and "medium/full bodied" texture with a "bright, dark red berry, cedar and tobacco finish" ("TheWineCellarInsider.com").
Vinous scores the wine 93, remarking on its "beautiful nose" featuring "blackberry, blueberry and crushed violet scents." The palate is described as "medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins," and the review finds it "sedate" yet "lovely" ("Vinous").
Finally, Decanter gives the highest score of 95, describing it as "well built and powerful" with "complex, layered and concentrated inky fruits" and "some aniseed too." The tannins, though fine, are plentiful, and the wine benefits from 80% new oak ("Decanter").
Overall, the 2016 Gruaud Larose is a sophisticated and well-received Bordeaux blend, praised for its complexity, elegance, and aging potential.
