2012 Château Gracia
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Tasting notes
The 2012 Gracia is an anomaly in this typically forward, charming vintage. Made from mostly Merlot (with 20% Cabernet Franc and a tiny amount of Cabernet Sauvignon) harvest from minuscule yields, this inky purple-colored beauty is like the essence of Merlot and offers an awesome bouquet of blueberries, black cherries, smoked tobacco, graphite, and liquid violets. It’s full-bodied, concentrated, and seriously endowed, with good acidity, building tannin, and a backward, brooding style that’s not much fun to drink today. Hide bottle for at least 4-5 years, and it’s going to cruise for two decades.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Had sediment. Deep crimson. Dark, lustrous, blackish crimson. Sweet and very ripe on the nose. Has the vigour and tangy punch of a fine Tuscan red(!). Really rather glamorous. Offers real interest and pleasure even if it’s not the most typical St-Émilion. I liked it at first but then a little bit of greenness revealed itself. (JR)
The 2012 Gracia is proprietor Michel Gracia's top wine. I find it overextracted, angular and short, with rough edges in the tannins that overpower the fruit. The 2012 is 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Jean-Philippe Fort is the winemaker.
This estate consistently turns out some of the greatest wines of St.-Emilion. Michel Gracia obviously learned a lot from his close friend Alain Vauthier at Ausone. The 2012 Gracia has an opaque bluish/black color and a gorgeous nose of blueberry liqueur intermixed with blackberry, incense, graphite and spice. Medium-bodied and super-concentrated, with well-integrated acidity, tannin and alcohol, this is a big, rich, profound 2012 to drink over the next two decades. Patience might be warranted to sit on it for 4-5 years prior to pulling corks. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. Kudos to Michel Gracia! This tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol from a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon cropped at a low yield of 22 hectoliters per hectare.