Many of us associate the great second-growth Ch. Gruaud Larose, with Cordier, its owners for most of the 20th century. But it wasn’t until after Cordier—when Jean Meurlat took over in 1997—that the château fully reclaimed its 19th-century glory.

Gruaud Larose is today not only in the midst of a Modern Era, it’s in the midst of a new Golden Age.

Last November, Inside Bordeaux’s Jane Anson had the privilege of tasting every vintage between 1995 and 2020 from the château’s cellar. In this encyclopedic tasting, mature vintages like 1996, 1998 and 2000 excelled as expected, with ratings between 94 and 96. But at the end of the day, two vintages stood alone with stratospheric 98-point ratings: 2001 and 2005. 

In its youth, 2005 was expected to be a great wine. And today, at age 17, it has fulfilled its promise.

Meanwhile, 2001 pulled a shocker by easily beating out the far more expensive 2000 that came right after it. The 2001 is a wine that didn’t show its true worth until fully mature. Today, at its peak, it has exploded with glorious possibilities, yet it remains a bargain among mature Bordeaux.

Through a friend of the château, we've been given access to both of these now highly desirable vintages from the château’s collection. All bottles are ex-château 2022. And everything is available in original wood cases.