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Chateau Gruaud Larose Saint Julien 1988 750ml

size
750ml
country
France
region
Bordeaux
appellation
Saint Julien
DC
94
WS
92
VM
90
DC
94
Rated 94 by Decanter
A lovely wine that's medium-bodied, well balanced and effortlessly drinkable. It's less exuberant and concentrated than the 1986, showing instead plenty of eucalyptus, blackberry and earthy notes, shot through with cold ash. Fermented with indigenous yeasts (as was typical everywhere at the time) and aged in one-third new oak. Harvest ran from 3 to 19 October. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Drinking Window 2019 - 2038. ... More details
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Chateau Gruaud Larose Saint Julien 1988 750ml

SKU 874708
Case Only Purchase
Long-term Pre-Arrival
$1013.70
/case
$168.95
/750ml bottle
Quantity
min order 6 bottles
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Professional Ratings
DC
94
WS
92
VM
90
DC
94
Rated 94 by Decanter
A lovely wine that's medium-bodied, well balanced and effortlessly drinkable. It's less exuberant and concentrated than the 1986, showing instead plenty of eucalyptus, blackberry and earthy notes, shot through with cold ash. Fermented with indigenous yeasts (as was typical everywhere at the time) and aged in one-third new oak. Harvest ran from 3 to 19 October. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Drinking Window 2019 - 2038.
WS
92
Rated 92 by Wine Spectator
This tight and powerful red has lots of tannin and fruit concentration. Full-bodied, with lovely violet and berry aromas and flavors. Built for aging.--1988 Bordeaux horizontal. 32,000 cases made.
VM
90
Rated 90 by Vinous Media
The 1988 Gruaud Larose seems to have lost some of its fruit concentration since I last tasted it in 2011. At 30-years of age it has moderate wide bricking on the rim though the core remains quite deep in colour. The bouquet is fully mature with scents of sage, liquorish and allspice permeating the dark berry fruit; fleeting glimpses of black tea and bay leaf surfacing with continued aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a tang of soy and marmalade on the entry. It is nicely balanced; a little rustic in style yet displays admirable depth and more freshness than some of its peers on the Left Bank. There is just that residual tobacco note lingering on the finish. If you like old school, traditional Saint Julien then this will suit you down to the ground. Tasted at the château.
Product Details
size
750ml
country
France
region
Bordeaux
appellation
Saint Julien
Overview
A lovely wine that's medium-bodied, well balanced and effortlessly drinkable. It's less exuberant and concentrated than the 1986, showing instead plenty of eucalyptus, blackberry and earthy notes, shot through with cold ash. Fermented with indigenous yeasts (as was typical everywhere at the time) and aged in one-third new oak. Harvest ran from 3 to 19 October. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Drinking Window 2019 - 2038.
green grapes

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

The Bordeaux method of blending quality grape varietals is something which has long been imitated and envied around the world. Whilst there are six Bordeaux grape varietals allowed for the production of red wine in this region of France – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Carménere – the most common and widely used combination involves a careful blend of the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, usually with a small percentage of Petit Verdot to boost the overall flavor and balance things out. This process accentuates the finer points of all these varietals, and takes the astringency of one type whilst rounding it out and mellowing it with the light tannins and fleshiness of another. The results are rarely short of spectacular, and are perfect for oak aging, where the flavorful magic of Bordeaux wine making can really take place, and the complex aromas and characteristics can truly come forward.
barrel

Region: Bordeaux

Although most commonly associated with their superb blended red wines, the world-famous region of Bordeaux in France is responsible for a relatively wide array of wines, ranging from the sweet and viscous white wines of Sauternes, to the dry and acidic single variety white wines found all over the region. However, it is the red wines which regularly make the wine world's headlines, and have historically been regarded as the finest on earth. The secret to the region's success is the fact that the warm and humid climate, coupled with mineral rich clay and gravel based soils produces grapes of excellent quality. Wineries in this region have spent hundreds of years mastering the art of blending and oak aging in order to get the best results from each grape, and remain the envy of the world to this day.
fields

Country: France

French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.
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More Details
green grapes

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

The Bordeaux method of blending quality grape varietals is something which has long been imitated and envied around the world. Whilst there are six Bordeaux grape varietals allowed for the production of red wine in this region of France – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Carménere – the most common and widely used combination involves a careful blend of the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, usually with a small percentage of Petit Verdot to boost the overall flavor and balance things out. This process accentuates the finer points of all these varietals, and takes the astringency of one type whilst rounding it out and mellowing it with the light tannins and fleshiness of another. The results are rarely short of spectacular, and are perfect for oak aging, where the flavorful magic of Bordeaux wine making can really take place, and the complex aromas and characteristics can truly come forward.
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Region: Bordeaux

Although most commonly associated with their superb blended red wines, the world-famous region of Bordeaux in France is responsible for a relatively wide array of wines, ranging from the sweet and viscous white wines of Sauternes, to the dry and acidic single variety white wines found all over the region. However, it is the red wines which regularly make the wine world's headlines, and have historically been regarded as the finest on earth. The secret to the region's success is the fact that the warm and humid climate, coupled with mineral rich clay and gravel based soils produces grapes of excellent quality. Wineries in this region have spent hundreds of years mastering the art of blending and oak aging in order to get the best results from each grape, and remain the envy of the world to this day.
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Country: France

French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.