Chateau Gruaud-Larose, Saint Julien, 2005

Twenty years on, a Saint-Julien classic from the great vintage. Gruaud-Larose is one of the five 2nd Growths of the 1855 Saint-Julien classification — an estate of more than 80 hectares on deep gravel soils, owned since 1997 by the Merlaut family. The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant in the classical style of the commune, vinified parcel by parcel and aged in French oak. 2005 was the universally celebrated Bordeaux vintage — a dry, near-perfect growing season that produced wines of extraordinary balance and structure across the Médoc. Two decades later, the 2005 Gruaud-Larose is fully mature or just entering its peak window, with the firm tannic spine of youth now softened into silk and a long, layered finish that speaks of true Bordeaux pedigree.