An Exploration of Time: Gruaud Larose 1831-2018

BY NEAL MARTIN | MARCH 27, 2024

If I could repeat any wine tasting over my career, then, no offense, it’s not going to be a vertical of Blossom Hill’s White Zinfandel. No, I would set my flux capacitor to March 2010 and repeat the first of four annual verticals held at Gruaud Larose that transcended the idea of your common or garden tasting. These verticals were profound explorations in time. They proved how the vineyard is a strand uniting past and present; moreover, that great claret never really dies, rather its flame flickers less and less brightly until the faintest glimmer remains.

Gruaud Larose has starred in many lunches and soirées since the formative days of my career. Despite classification and historical pedigree, you could argue that its wines are currently underrated by cognoscenti, perhaps due to a period of inconsistency during the reorganization of its vineyard and overhauling of its cuverie. Now that this project has reached its final stage, the results can be tasted in a wine that harks back to former glories. As such, this is an opportune moment to delve into Gruaud Larose’s storied history, learn more about its current winemaker, its modus operandi and, of course, unleash an armada of tasting notes. Word of warning: this is a serious deep dive into an important Bordeaux estate, so pull up a comfy chair, pour yourself a glass and read on…

The directoire-style château at Gruaud Larose. The tower is located just behind and the cuverie opposite. The interior, furnished in the style of Louis XVI, seems barely changed over the decades.

Drums, Flags & Nuns: The Beginnings

Gruaud Larose is a family estate. Since its inception in 1725, there have been just four tenures: the Gruaud and Larose families, then the Balguerie and Sarget. In the 20th century, the third reign was by Cordier, and now, the current proprietors are under Jean Merlaut.

The first mention of Gruaud dates from the mid-18th century. Abraham Lawton records the 1742 vintage constituted 38 barrels sold for 350 livres per barrel, while tax office records sieur Gruaud, a bourgeois of Bordeaux. Its genesis dates from 1757 when chevalier Joseph Stanislas Gruaud began to amalgamate parcels of vine within the commune of Saint-Julien-de-Reignac, firstly de Sartaignac and du Merle, then Ténac, a plot inherited from his mother, Blanche. He also began cultivating fallow land to cater to burgeoning demand from European countries, part of Bordeaux’s rush to expand.

Apparently, Monsieur Gruaud was a bit of an eccentric chap. He would stand guard over his vines on top of the tower that flew the flag of whichever country he believed would be most appreciative of his wine, lighter wines the German flag, heavier wines the Union Jack, a clue to 18th-century oenophiles’ predilections. He banged a large drum to awake sleepy-eyed workers in the morning, which he would beat again at the end of the day to march them back to their dwellings. At that time, the Cru was not referred to as Gruaud Larose but Fonbedeau (or Fond-Bedeau, according to Bernard Ginestet) until the early 19th century. When Gruaud took his ‘dernier souffle’ on 6 September 1771, he had named the sole heir as Joseph Sébastien de Larose, president of the Bordeaux Court of Appeal, and, as custom dictates, he appended his name to the estate. Its first mention came ten years later. De Larose died in 1795 and bequeathed the estate to his three children: Philippe Marie, whose wife descended from the Pontet family, Blanche de Ruat and a nun, Marie-Catherine. The first two died soon after, leaving Marie-Catherine the only surviving heir. Since she had taken her religious vows, a legal imbroglio ensued between her and the offspring of Philippe and Blanche, which led to the estate being put up for auction on 21 December 1812.

Proprietor Jean Merlaut inside the furnished rooms of the château.

A Case of Binary Fission