Sarget de Gruaud Larose 2023

Open, dark-fruited and herb-spiced; smooth on the palate, with a perfect balance of tannins, acidity and fruit, and a pleasantly long finish. Perfect for restaurants and for people who want a lot of wine for their money.

52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40.5% Merlot, 3.5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc. Certified organic. Cask sample. Forward, engaging with crunchy fruit. Linear and fresh with light, fine tannins. Appealing early drinking. (JL)

The 2023 Sarget de Gruaud Larose is a bold, juicy second wine to drink now and over the next decade. A rush of dark red cherry fruit, blood orange, pomegranate, menthol, chalk and mint are all dialed up. This exuberant, boisterous St. Julien is all charm.

Leafy, fresh herbs, cedar, mint, tobacco, and red fruits show easily in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is bright, fresh, and fruity, with a core of red currants from start to finish. You should be able to enjoy this wine on release. The wine is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40.5% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2033. 89-91 Pts.

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate nuances of sour cherry and liquorice, with dark wild berries in the background, a hint of herbal savouriness. Juicy, round and harmonious, delicate blackberry confit, mineral-salty, subtle sweetness, already well developed.

The bouquet’s fruity definition highlights notes of red berries along with floral nuances. Juicy on the attack, the wine stands out for its linear progression and its velvety, well-integrated tannins. Together with the acidic framework, they bring energy and drive, while a subtle austere touch refreshes and extends the finish. A precise, consistent wine.

A lovely fruity, fresh nose with deep intensity, a hint of dark depth, elegance and suppleness, and a fine creaminess. It reveals notes of pulpy strawberry and bright, pulpy red berries, and more lightly dense/juicy blackcurrant, with touches of cornflower and black tea/infusion, as well as fine hints of racy gravel, fresh spices, and tobacco. The palate is beautifully juicy, fruity, and mineral, offering a tangy spine, accuracy, tension, minerality, a lovely velvety grain—fresh, precise, gourmand—fine definition/precision, and an airy, elongated feel within its modest richness. It shows notes of violet, roasted-juicy strawberry, raspberry, and more lightly pulpy/juicy blue fruits, with touches of graphite, fresh-roasted red berries, as well as hints of pulpy fruits, mocha, toasty notes, cornflower, fresh blond tobacco, and a subtle touch of smoke and salinity. Good length; the tannins offer a touch of suppleness and sapidity, with a subtle hint of pleasing bitterness on the finish/persistence.

Dark berries on the nose, lots of herbal tones, blackcurrant and clove spice. Really bright and vibrant, juicy and so succulent. Clean and crisp, lots of menthol freshness with clove and cedar. I love the graphite mineral undertone that lingers on the finish. Clean, lean, straight, but extremely well defined and finessed with crisp red fruits, strawberry, cranberry and just-ripe raspberry. Tangy, slick and straight but alive with personality. A great second wine, punchy and forthright. 3.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

A deeply coloured wine with an intense nose, showing ripe fruit aromas. The palate is all about tactile delicacy, with lovely flavours of black fruits and a finish that isn’t very long, but is tasty. Very enjoyable wherever it goes. Best enjoyed young.

Bottled in late May 2025, the 2023 Sarget de Gruaud Larose offers up aromas of sweet cherries, berries, plums and petals, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, supple and charming palate that's rich, polished and harmonious. This is an elegant second wine that will drink well on release.