位於波爾多St. Julien村的二級頂級酒莊Chateau Gruaud Larose有悠久的歷史。這個莊園最早的主人是一位騎士Joseph Stanislas Gruaud，後來流傳到他的女婿Joseph Sebastian de La Rose時，1725年創立酒莊命名為Gruaud Larose。本酒莊後來歷經多次的轉手，品質因此也起起落落；1997 年一位Jacques Merlaut 先生買下Gruaud Larose經營至今，他將本酒莊的品質維持在相當好的水準。
Gruaud Larose地處St. Julien村最南端，這片佔地92公頃的葡萄園位於St. Julien高地的一個區塊，葡萄園有深厚礫石層而下面有黏土，讓酒中的單寧較為硬實。葡萄品種的種植比例是65% Cabernet Sauvignon、25% Merlot、5% Cabernet Franc 和 5% Petit Verdot。在過去的幾年裡，Gruaud Larose發生了極大的改變，經過大規模改造2019年開始全面實行有機農法來管理葡萄園，目標是創建一個持久的生態系統。
Gruaud Larose的酒是厚實質樸的風格，上市後需要幾年的時間讓酒質達到適期。這座酒莊似乎正開始新的黃金時代，最近幾個年份的強勁表現是相當明顯的證明。
WA:95+ Drink: 2007-2055
In the last few years, Gruaud Larose has been transformed. This 92-hectare vineyard, occupying a single block on the plateau of Saint-Julien, has been extensively restructured: in the past, Merlot, susceptible to frost, had been planted in the highest parts of the vineyards for protection—but those just happened to be the sites best adapted to Cabernet Sauvignon. Now, varieties and soil types are better matched (50% of the vineyard has been replanted); yields are lower, and farming is better: 2019 marked the beginning of organic conversion, but beyond that, the aspiration is to create a durable ecosystem, with wildlife corridors, agroforestry (3,000 trees have been planted), insect houses and so on; soils are worked less often and less deeply and sowed with cover crops. In the winery, the fruit sees multiple sorting before macerations that are gentle but protracted, at comparatively low temperatures, and great attention is paid to selecting which lots of press wine to include in the blend. The results, as the 2019 testifies, are compelling. This doesn't mark a return to the muscular, rich, rustic style of the Cordier era's heyday but nor does contemporary Gruaud Larose have anything in common with the rather lean, malnourished wines frequently produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Instead, we are learning that Gruaud Larose can produce wines that are both elegant and intense. If this trajectory continues, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the château will be entering a new golden era.
