($495) Good deep red. Explosive, somewhat rustic aromas of redcurrant, roasted plum, leather, earth and meat, complicated by a dusty note and some noticeable volatile acidity. Very sweet and powerful in the mouth, with mature flavors of singed red fruits and fruit cake. Rather powerful finish features slightly dry, dusty tannins. The material is impressive, but the '82 has more class.

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Tasted 7 Times With Consistent Notes The 1961 is among the greatest mature wines of Gruaud-Larose I have drunk. This powerful, rich, densely concentrated wine remains young, fresh, and vigorous, with a full decade of life ahead. It continues to exhibit a dark garnet color with some amber, a wonderfully fragrant quality (plus, minerals, tar, cedar, soy sauce, and licorice), a viscous texture, sensation depth of fruit, and a fabulous, albeit alcoholic finish. This is claret at its most decadent.

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Has this château's characteristic earthy style, seeming almost pungent on first whiff, but it also packs plenty of ripe, sweet-seeming fruit flavor. In very solid condition, full-bodied but well balanced, firm with tannins. --1961 Bordeaux horizontal.

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