2002 Château Gruaud Larose
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Tasting notes
The 2002 Gruaud Larose has a straightforward tobacco and sous-bois scented bouquet that simply needs more fruit and more presence. Quite austere. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly coarse texture and fine acidity, but some rusticity towards the finish feels a bit shallow. Not bad, though the bottle encountered just a year earlier certainly showed better. Tasted at the Gruaud Larose vertical at the château in February 2023.
Critic scores
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec. Brick hue. Earthy and slightly stewed on the nose. Soft attack but the fruit is absent, a green acidity omnipresent. Rather hard and coarse. Drying finish. Probably seen better days. (JL)
The 2002 Gruaud Larose is a vintage that I have not tasted for some time. It was matured in 30% new oak for 16 to 18 months. At 20 years old, it has an open bouquet, quite fragrant, mainly red berry fruit with iron piping, orange rind and saddle-leather scents, seemingly fully mature yet with commendable vigour. The palate is medium-bodied with a lightly spiced entry, quite mature and a little fungal with some brettanomyces towards the slightly austere finish. Enjoyable, old school Gruaud. I would not leave bottles too much longer in the cellar unless in larger formats. Tasted at the château.
A stubborn vintage that remains bedded down, but shows beautifully as it opens. Caramel and smoked cedar aromatics, with a darker register overall than the 2001 - cassis, bilberry, black pepper, all densely structured. It's an excellent wine, but less signature Gruaud Larose/St Julien than some of the others in the lineup, more strict, reflecting a vintage where it was a little tougher to reach full ripeness. Give this a long carafe to let the tannins soften, and the beauty will appear, with a juicy mint leaf finish, and gentle smoky notes that curl up out of the glass. Harvest September 26 to October 6, 35% new oak.
About the producer
Ch. Gruaud Larose is a Second Growth estate in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux. It is often considered one of the best-value Left Bank estates, with the wines occasionally matching those of the First Growths.