# Château Gruaud Larose (2005)

- **Producer:** Château Gruaud Larose
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec
- **Region:** Bordeaux, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.1%
- **Average price:** €165
- **Vegan:** No
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, blackcurrant, blackberry, herbaceous, mint, black pepper, vanilla, cedar, smoke, chocolate, leather, tobacco, forest floor, wet leaves, mushroom, game

## About this wine

Château Gruaud Larose is a historic estate located in the Saint-Julien appellation of Bordeaux's Left Bank. Established in 1725, the property was classified as a Second Growth (2ème Cru Classé) in the landmark 1855 Bordeaux Classification. The estate is renowned for its unique terroir, consisting of an 82-hectare single contiguous block of deep Garonne gravel over clay-limestone subsoils. Owned by the Merlaut family since 1997, the château maintains a traditional approach to viticulture and winemaking, emphasizing the natural expression of its gravelly soils. The 2005 vintage represents a classic expression of this prestigious estate, capturing the power and longevity for which Saint-Julien is celebrated.

## Interesting facts

- The 2005 vintage is historically significant as the final year that Malbec was included in the grand vin blend of Château Gruaud Larose.
- The estate's historic Latin-derived motto is 'Le Roi des Vins, le Vin des Rois', which translates to 'The King of Wines, the Wine of Kings'.
- The estate's 82-hectare vineyard has remained planted in a single, contiguous block since the historic 1855 Bordeaux Classification.

## Food pairing

The wine's robust tannin structure and vibrant acidity require rich, protein-heavy dishes like red meats and game to soften the tannins, while its earthy, tertiary notes beautifully complement savory elements like wild mushrooms and aged cheeses.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for the 2005 vintage at Château Gruaud Larose combined traditional methods with precise temperature control. The hand-harvested grapes underwent double sorting at the winery before fermentation. Fermentation took place in a combination of thermo-regulated concrete vats (60%) and wooden vats (40%) using selected indigenous yeasts at temperatures between 31°C and 33°C. Maceration lasted between 21 and 35 days, including post-fermentation maceration with lees stirring. The wine was aged for 18 months in fine-grained French oak barrels, with 35% new oak utilized for this specific vintage, before being fined traditionally with egg whites.