Chateau Gruaud Larose 2025

Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque, almost inky core, violet reflections, delicate edge brightening. Notes of licorice and hibiscus, hints of cassis, dark wild berries, fine herbal spice, some precious wood. Taut, complex and elegant, pure black forest berries, silky tannins, mineral-salty, very good length and freshness, remains very persistent, has definite ageing potential.

The 2025 Gruaud Larose is rich, ample and exotic right out of the gate. Dark-toned fruit, graphite, licorice, mocha and lavender are all dialed up. The 2025 has a lot to offer, but will need a number of years to be at its finest. There's a lot of wine here. Even with all its intensity, the tannins show no signs of stress. All the 2025 needs is a lot of time in the cellar to shed its considerable baby fat.

• Trinkreife: 2040 - 2075
• Name des Kritikers: Antonio Galloni

Such scented notes on the nose, more like a sultry summer’s evening with jasmine, lavender, violets, peonies and deep, heady blackcurrants alongside tobacco, liquorice and clove. Supple and so wonderfully textured – grippy but finely placed with an almost crushed stone aspect but this really holds the juiciness such a long time – strawberry and raspberry, crunchy cranberry, with a persistence and energetic finish. What a wine. Silky, almost a delicate touch here where there’s such precision yet still at the same time there’s concentration and intensity. 11% press wine (all from Cabernet). 3.71pH. A yield of 26hl/ha. 50% grand vin production.

• Trinkreife: 2034 - 2050
• Name des Kritikers: Georgina Hindle

Unwinding in the glass with notes of dark berries, cassis, plums mingled with hints of violet and pencil shavings, the 2025 Gruaud Larose is medium- to full-bodied, supple and suave, with a deep core of fruit, lovely energy and ripe, powdery tannins. Checking in at 13.5% alcohol, this blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc will bear a special gold label to commemorate the estate's 300th anniversary.

• Name des Kritikers: William Kelley

You get the tannic grip of the vintage in spades, but as you sit with the wine, a creaminess appears through the mid palate that is highly appealing, with a cocoa bean and espresso lick alongside berry fruits, crayon and graphite. Smoky signoff on the finish right now, will integrate over ageing, a ton of potential here, great quality. 75% new oak. Virginie Sallette 8th vintage, a lovely expression of Gruaud. Harvest September 3 to 20. 3.71 pH

• Name des Kritikers: Jane Anson

The 2025 Gruaud Larose comes in a specially designed etched bottle to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the first vintage labelled as Gruaud Larose (although there were already vines in situ). Picked between September 3 and 20 at 26 hl/ha, average for the appellation, and aged in new oak, it has a less outgoing bouquet than its peers, tightly wound black fruit, sous-bois and tobacco. Fine delineation and firmly classical in style. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins. A more tertiary Gruaud Larose, hints of dark powdered chocolate combine with black fruit, leading to a more structured vintage that lingers nicely in the mouth. Perhaps slightly less deep than some of its peers, this has a tendency to gain weight during élevage. Englishman's claret!

• Name des Kritikers: Neal Martin