CHATEAU GRUAUD LAROSE

Have you heard the one about the Knight, the Abbot and the Magistrate? Sadly, we have no punch-line, so we'll move on. The knight, Joseph Stanislaw Gruaud, established the Saint-Julien property, and it was administered by two Gruauds, the priest and the magistrate. Upon the demise of the magistrate, part of the property went to Joseph Sebastian de La Rose, and there we have the origins of the name. Back in the day, they erected a tower over their vineyards so they could watch their workers.

Supremely innovative, they would sell their wines to the highest bidder at auction, and if the wine didn’t sell, they would keep lifting the price until it did. Over their history, Gruaud-Larose have been somewhat hit-or-miss; they have been more than capable of turning out stunning wines, just not with sufficient consistency to accompany their Second Growth status.

Since 1997, the estate has been in the hands of the Merlaut family, and they, with much acumen, have introduced sustainable practices and organics into the vineyard, with their 2009 vintage a welcome return to form.