Composed of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Gruaud Larose has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It comes barreling out of the glass with powerful scents of blackberry preserves, baked plums and crème de cassis plus hints of fruitcake, Indian spices and tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate offers bags of baked berries flavors and a chewy texture with just enough freshness, finishing spicy. Judging by the slightly rustic tannins and suggestions of dried berry characters, I'm guessing the heat and drought had an impact this year. This said, the wine is very well crafted and delicious right now, although a good 3-4 years in bottle should soften the tannins and bring out further nuances. 2024 - 2038

The 2018 Gruaud Larose, which incidentally now comes with a red wax capsule, is initially tightly wound on the nose, offering blackberry, raspberry, touches of juniper berry and a light seaweed note that becomes accentuated with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, and a little lactic on the entry, with a smear of dark chocolate segueing into a balanced middle that will require time to absorb the oak. It needs a little more complexity to come through on the finish, so give it 3–4 years in bottle. 2024 - 2045

Aromas of currants, blackberries, dried flowers, dark chocolate and tobacco leaves. Citrus zest, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, ultra fine tannins. Complex and layered with a juicy core of ripe fruit. Silky and delicious. Very creamy and fine-tannined. Better from 2025.

Tasted blind. Tea-leaf aroma. Polished tannins and unusually sweet fruit. Not too alcoholic though. Fine boned and an agreeable, well-balanced claret. 14.5% Drink 2026 – 2042

(67 Cabernet Sauvignon, 24 Merlot, 9 Cabernet Franc) | 90% new oak | 14.2% alc With a superb nose and a detailed palate with red and black fruit notes in harmony, this is a well-balanced Gruaud and while it is long and complete I felt that there was a little something missing and so while I was tempted to bump up the score to 18.5, in the end I stuck with a noble 18.