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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 blended red wines of Bordeaux have gone down in history as the finest wines every produced, with collectors and many of the general public still eagerly anticipating the wineries of this region's new releases to this day. The secret to Bordeaux's monumental success has been their careful blending of high quality grape varietals, controlled and protected by French law. In Bordeaux, wineries can only produce red wines using a blend of two or more of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec or Carménere grape varietals, with the latter two becoming less and less commonly seen on bottles. The vast majority of Bordeaux red wines use Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varietals, boosted by a little Petit Verdot. These three grapes compliment each other beautifully as they age in oak, rounded out their tannins and the high astringency of the Sauvignon, and resulting in wonderfully complex flavors and aromas.
barrel

Region: Bordeaux

There are few wine regions in the world with a reputation as glowing and well established as that of the Bordeaux, in France. Situated mainly around the Dordogne and Gironde rivers, Bordeaux makes the most of its humid climate and rich, clay and gravel based soils to grow some of the finest examples of red and white grape varietals on earth. Wineries in this region have been in operation for hundreds of years, and have carefully developed the expertise required for the production of carefully balanced and utterly delicious blended red and white wines, alongside some exceptional single variety bottles. Many of the chateaux found in Bordeaux have become household names, due to their prestige and the excellence of their products, grown with love and dedication by heritage wineries in this beautiful and special region.
fields

Country: France

It is widely understood and accepted that the finest wines in the world come out of France. Whether you are drinking a vintage bottle from one of the famed Grand Cru wineries of Bordeaux - such as Chateau Margaux or Chateau Lafite-Rothschild - or a more simple and affordable bottle from one of the lesser known appellations in Burgundy, the likelihood is that the wine is packed full of intense and interesting flavors, and has a fine, balanced structure typical of almost all French produce. This reputation for excellence is taken extremely serious by the French, with dozens of regularly updated laws and regulations ensuring the quality and accurate labeling of wines. Such dedication and passion for fine wine, representative of the region in which it is produced, means customers can be assured that when they buy a bottle from France, they are buying something almost certain to please and delight.
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More Details
green grapes

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

The blended red wines of Bordeaux have gone down in history as the finest wines every produced, with collectors and many of the general public still eagerly anticipating the wineries of this region's new releases to this day. The secret to Bordeaux's monumental success has been their careful blending of high quality grape varietals, controlled and protected by French law. In Bordeaux, wineries can only produce red wines using a blend of two or more of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec or Carménere grape varietals, with the latter two becoming less and less commonly seen on bottles. The vast majority of Bordeaux red wines use Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varietals, boosted by a little Petit Verdot. These three grapes compliment each other beautifully as they age in oak, rounded out their tannins and the high astringency of the Sauvignon, and resulting in wonderfully complex flavors and aromas.
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Region: Bordeaux

There are few wine regions in the world with a reputation as glowing and well established as that of the Bordeaux, in France. Situated mainly around the Dordogne and Gironde rivers, Bordeaux makes the most of its humid climate and rich, clay and gravel based soils to grow some of the finest examples of red and white grape varietals on earth. Wineries in this region have been in operation for hundreds of years, and have carefully developed the expertise required for the production of carefully balanced and utterly delicious blended red and white wines, alongside some exceptional single variety bottles. Many of the chateaux found in Bordeaux have become household names, due to their prestige and the excellence of their products, grown with love and dedication by heritage wineries in this beautiful and special region.
fields

Country: France

It is widely understood and accepted that the finest wines in the world come out of France. Whether you are drinking a vintage bottle from one of the famed Grand Cru wineries of Bordeaux - such as Chateau Margaux or Chateau Lafite-Rothschild - or a more simple and affordable bottle from one of the lesser known appellations in Burgundy, the likelihood is that the wine is packed full of intense and interesting flavors, and has a fine, balanced structure typical of almost all French produce. This reputation for excellence is taken extremely serious by the French, with dozens of regularly updated laws and regulations ensuring the quality and accurate labeling of wines. Such dedication and passion for fine wine, representative of the region in which it is produced, means customers can be assured that when they buy a bottle from France, they are buying something almost certain to please and delight.