Chateau Gruaud Larose 2018

The origin of Chateau Gruaud Larose is linked to the name of knight Joseph Stanislas Gruaud and dates back to 1725. His heirs — a judge and a priest — combined the vineyards into one, covering a total area of 116 hectares, and named it Fond-Bedeau. Notably, they produced wines in the form of two separate cuvées — Abbot Gruaud and Chevalier de Gruaud. Chevalier de Gruaud was known as an eccentric. He built a tower above the vineyard to observe the workers. He also raised national flags of the UK, Germany, and other countries over the estate after each harvest to indicate which country should buy the wine according to its style. After the death of the Chevalier in 1778, his son — Vice-Governor of Guyenne Joseph-Sébastien de la Rose — bought lands from other heirs and combined them into a large estate, which became known as Gruaud Larose. The wines of the Chateau were of magnificent quality and very popular among the nobility. It was said that the wines of Chateau Gruaud Larose were "The King of Wines, the wine for kings." This statement remains on the label to this day. The heirs of Sébastien de la Rose sold the estate to Pierre Balguer and Baron Sarge. These two families managed the estate for about 50 years until a split occurred in 1867, dividing it into two parts — Chateau Gruaud Larose Sarge and Chateau Gruaud Larose Fort. In the 20th century, both estates were bought and reunited by Cordier. However, in 1983 he sold the estate to the French bank Compagnie de Suez, and in 1997 Chateau Gruaud Larose was acquired by the Taillan Group led by Jacques Merlo, who had been a well-known negotiator in Bordeaux since the 60s and began purchasing properties in the region in 1976, owning Chateau la Gurg, Chateau O-Bag Liberal, Chateau Ferrier, Chateau Citran, and others. Today, Chateau Gruaud Larose covers 165 hectares, of which 82 hectares are vineyards. The terroir is typical for the region, with deep gravel soils planted with 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec. The average age of the vines is about 45 years, with a planting density of 10,000 vines per hectare. The harvest is collected exclusively by hand. The winemaking team is managed by Jacques Merlo's son, Jean.