Château Gruaud Larose, St Julien, Bordeaux 2010

Château Gruaud Larose, St Julien, Bordeaux 2010

The family celebrated my decade significant birthday with a special treat, attending the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indianapolis 500 together, one of the biggest most thrilling sporting events in the world. Coming out of the Covid disruptions, this year was back in full swing with more than 300,000 race fans attending. 

Its been years since we attended the race and we were amazed at how the speeds have increased. In the attached videos, look at how incredibly fast they go these days, reaching speeds above 230 mph, and, the thrill of them all coming into the pits at once when there is a yellow flag due to a crash. 

We had four hotel rooms in Lafayette the night before where the grandkids partied with their cousins in the pool and the adults relaxed with some wine after dinner. 

But back to the wine .... Ryan brought from home this 2010 St Julien Bordeaux from a case that I acquired and we shared/split together. 

Château Gruaud Larose, St Julien, Bordeaux 2010 

Our visit to and tour of Château Gruaud-Larose estate, winery and vineyards was one of the highlights of our St Julien appellation trip in 2019.

We hold more than a dozen vintages of this wine in regular and large formats dating back to our kids' birthyear vintages in 1981, '82, '85 and 1990. 

This vintage release was awarded  96 points by James Suckling, 95 points by Wine Enthusiast, 94 points by Decanter and Vinous and 93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. It also was awarded 92 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

A classic Gruaud Larose and St Julien wine, this begged for a grilled beefsteak and potatoes accompaniment. At twelve years this is just starting to hit its stride coming across as still youthful and probably could use another decade to settle in and more fully integrate.

Dark garnet/plum/purple colored, medium bodied with full round concentrated complex dark berry fruits, note of gaminess initially turning to accents of tobacco, cigar box, leather and garrigue spice with earth and underbrush and finishing with cassis and licorice with firm grainy tannins and fresh tangy acidity on a long finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1123336

https://www.gruaud-larose.com/en/