{"product_id":"chateau-gruaud-larose-st-julien-2018-750ml","title":"Château Gruaud-Larose St.-Julien 2018 (750ml)","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCritical Acclaim\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJD97\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJeb Dunnuck\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBased on 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Château Gruaud Larose sports a dense purple hue as well as a stunning nose of pure crème de cassis, cedar pencil shavings, blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, and a liquid rock-like sense of minerality. This dense, almost broodingly backward, concentrated Saint-Julien has flawless balance, a remarkable sense of purity, masses of tannins, and one hell of a great finish. Seemingly almost from a more austere year (say 2000 or 2010), it's not going to hit maturity for at least a decade and should cruise in cold cellars for 20-30 years. It's a brilliant wine!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJS95\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJames Suckling\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAromas 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWE94\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWine Enthusiast\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA densely textured and rich wine, this has power and concentration. Smoky tannins show strongly as well as juicy black-currant fruits that are still young. The wine, with its structure, is just starting on a journey to aging. Drink from 2027.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eD93\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDecanter\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHere the tannins are pretty hefty, matched by deep brambly black cherry notes. Good-quality with slate, cigar, chocolate, earth and black pepper spice through the mid-palate. Not as elegant at this stage as some St-Julien in the vintage but this has a long life ahead and is full of promise. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eV91\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVinous\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe 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 tannin's, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Gruaud-Larose","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42975949488352,"sku":"109244","price":119.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0649\/9713\/0464\/products\/ch-teau-gruaud-larose-st--julien.jpg?v=1663884094","url":"https:\/\/www.mywineconnection.com\/products\/chateau-gruaud-larose-st-julien-2018-750ml","provider":"My Wine Connection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}