1983 Gruaud Larose
Buying options
Tasting Notes
Solid, intense. roasted coffee and cassis aromas and flavors lead to a lovely ripe fruit finish. Well-built with firm tannins. Drinkable now but better after 1998.--The Bordeaux 50. James Suckling, Wine Spectator 1994.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
A blockbuster 1983, Gruaud-Larose can be drunk now, but promises to keep for at least another 20-25 years. Typical of the wines this property made in the late seventies and early eighties, it offers a full throttle style, an opaque dark ruby/purple color with no amber at the edges, and a huge nose of melted road tar, new saddle leather, grilled meats, and black fruits. It is sure to be controversial among those tasters looking for only new oak and fruit aromas. Powerful, spicy, and full-bodied, with surprising viscosity for a 1983, this wine's low acidity allows it to be appreciated now, but there are still formidable quantities of sweet tannins in the finish. One of the most successful wines produced in 1983, it is still available in the marketplace at a reasonable price. Last tasted, 4/93. Aug 1993, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Ch. Gruaud Larose is a Second Growth estate in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux. It is often considered one of the best-value Left Bank estates, with the wines occasionally matching those of the First Growths.