【Gruaud Larose "Le Vin des Rois, Le Roi des Vins - The wine of kings, the king of wines"】
【Second Growth Gruaud Larose Second Wine】【Oak barrel aging for 15 months (15% new barrels)】
【Organic Farming/Biodynamic Methods】【Yves Beck 92-94 pts】
【Vinous 89-91 pts】【Vivino 4.0 stars】
【Vinous 89-91 pts】
The 2021 Sarget de Gruaud Larose was raised in 15% new oak for a planned 15 months. It shows fine lift and commendable precision on a nose of blackberry and briary fruit. The palate is malleable on the entry and well balanced, displaying a touch of black pepper and gentle grip toward the finish. Considering the growing season, this Deuxième Vin deserves a round of applause. Frankly, it's not that far off the quality of the Grand Vin.
Gruaud Larose is located in the southwest of the Saint-Julien production area in Bordeaux, France. It was rated as a second growth in the Bordeaux 1855 classification. The logo of the Chateau d'Or is engraved with the sentence - "The wine of kings, the king of wines" (Le Vin des Rois, Le Roi des Vins). This sentence fully shows people's recognition of Golden Rose wine.
The winery has been owned by the Merlaut family since 1997. These families with strong financial resources have brought advanced technological equipment, reasonable management models and a broad international market to Golden Rose Castle, allowing Golden Rose Castle to produce world-class wines while respecting tradition and protecting the environment.
The vineyard covers an area of 82 hectares and is planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. The proportion of Cab. has increased significantly compared with before. The garden has a well-drained gravel layer, which is very suitable for the growth of Cab., and the soil layer has large gaps, suitable for the grapevines to take root downwards. The lower layer of gravel is calcareous clay and sandy soil, which provides the grapes with the nutrients they need and gives the wine higher tannins. The planting density in the park is 10,000 grapevines per hectare, with an average tree age of 46 years, of which the old Cab. vines can be over 80 years old. In terms of vineyard management, the winery adheres to the principle of respecting nature and advocates organic planting and biodynamic methods.
The name of the second wine, Sarget de Gruaud Larose, comes from Mr. Baron Sarget. Mr. Baron Sarget was one of the owners of Gruaud Larose in the 19th century. Apart from the age of the grapes, there is no difference in the brewing method from the first wine, so this second wine has the essence of the first wine. Grapes aged 25-30 years are used. After harvest, they will undergo temperature-controlled fermentation in wooden barrels and cement steel for 20-30 days. The winery will use the peeling method to extract more color and tannins in the grapes, and then be introduced into French oak barrels for aging for 15 months (of which 15% are new barrels) to increase its complexity.
