Tasting Notes
Vinous 96
The 1982 Gruaud Larose has long been one of the outstanding successes of the vintage alongside stablemate Talbot. This bottle is superb. Relatively youthful on the nose, it offers blackberry and mulberry fruit, veins of pressed violets, and is quite powerful with a subtle and complementary minty element. The palate is beautifully balanced with admirable density and grip. Very harmonious, silky in texture with a luxuriant finish, this is a Gruaud at the peak of its powers. Yes, please. Tasted single blind at the 1982 dinner at Cornus in London.
Anticipated maturity: 2025-2048
Robert Parker 96
Tasted at Pebbles/Zachy’s 1982 dinner in Hong Kong. I have lost count how many times I have not only tasted this wine, but how many times that I have enjoyed it. Here, this bottle is a little more backward and Pauillac-like in style with vibrant black fruit, crushed stone and a little burnt toast. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. It is beautifully balanced with the vivacity and outgoing personality of Leoville Poyferre ’82. There are lovely tobacco and cooked meat notes towards the long, persistent finish. I have written several times how damn delicious this Gruaud is " so don’t let me bore you again. Tasted November 2012.
JancisRobinson.com 18.0
Cool and very fresh with a seam of graphite. Drier than the Grand Puy Lacoste 1982 served blind alongside. More intense but with more obvious acidity. It may be drying out but I have given it the benefit of the doubt.
Anticipated maturity: 1995-2025
