Château Gruaud-Larose 1996 Saint-Julien (75cl, 13%)

Gruaud Larose 1996 is a Saint-Julien red from an estate classified as a Second Growth in 1855. The 1996 blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, at 13% alcohol. Harvest ran from 20 September to 10 October. The vineyard sits on Garonne gravel, and the estate notes ageing for 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels renewed by about 30% each year. Estate and period notes point to a structured Saint-Julien with Cabernet drive, black fruit and the ageing capacity typical of mid-1990s Left Bank classics.