Château Gruaud-Larose

Identity

Château Gruaud-Larose, a Deuxième Grand Cru Classé in 1855, is located in Saint-Julien-Beychevelle. It is owned by Jean Merlaut, with Nicolas Sinoquet serving as Chief Executive Officer, Virginie Sallette as technical director, and Éric Boissenot as consulting oenologist. Commercial management is overseen by Patricia Zabalza, wine tourism is managed by Stéphanie Baron, and the vineyard manager is Jules Dazey.

History and Philosophy

The history of Château Gruaud-Larose began in 1725 with Abbot Gruaud. The estate was formed through the merger of various crus such as Ténac, Sartaignac, and Merle. In 1791, Jean-Sébastien de Larose added his name to the property. Over the centuries, several prominent families shaped the château's heritage, including the Gruaud and Larose, Balguerie and Sarget, and Cordier families. In 1935, Désiré Cordier set out to reunite the estate's holdings through successive acquisitions. The Alcatel Alsthom group acquired it in 1993, before the Merlaut family took the helm in 1997. The estate is committed to an agroecological approach, having begun organic conversion in 2019 and achieving Agriculture Biologique certification with the 2022 vintage.

Appellations

The wines of Château Gruaud-Larose are produced under the Saint-Julien Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée.

Practical Information

Château Gruaud-Larose is located in Saint-Julien-Beychevelle (33250). Visits are available by appointment only and are private, with a minimum of two participants. They can be conducted in French, English, and German. In May and October, visits run Monday to Saturday, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. From November to the end of April, they take place Monday to Friday during the same hours. The estate welcomes approximately 8,000 visitors per year. Direct wine sales are available on-site.

Wine Tourism Contact: Phone: +33 5 56 73 89 43 Email: visit@gruaud-larose.com

Administration Contact: Phone: +33 5 56 73 15 20 Email: gl@gruaud-larose.com

Find Out More

Official estate website

The Vineyard (Terroir)

The Château Gruaud-Larose vineyard covers a planted area of 82 hectares, 75 of which are currently in production. The soils consist of Quaternary Garonne gravel, deposited over 600,000 years ago, characterised by a blend of humus, clay, sand, and pebbles. The subsoil comprises red, yellow, or blue clay, followed by sand and rolled pebbles originating from Pyrenean diluvium. The average vine age is 46 years. The grape varieties are led by Cabernet Sauvignon (60% or 69% depending on sources), complemented by Merlot (29% or 30%), Cabernet Franc (2%, 4%, or 7%), and Petit Verdot (2% or 3%).

The estate applies biodynamic and permaculture principles, notably utilising herbal teas. It encourages cover crops between vine rows, on pathways, and on fallow land to protect the soil and stimulate microbial activity. Bat nesting boxes have been installed to assist with natural pest control, and the property hosts four beehives. Eco-grazing practices with sheep are carried out during the vine dormancy period. A 300 m² Miyawaki micro-forest has been planted with 800 saplings across 28 varieties. Isolated trees (29 elms and 6 maples) alongside 4.4 km of hedgerows featuring 3,500 plants across 27 different species have also been introduced.

Signature Cuvées

The estate primarily produces Château Gruaud-Larose, its grand vin, and Sarget de Gruaud Larose, its second wine. The average annual production of the grand vin is approximately 120,000 to 150,000 bottles. Total annual production can reach 350,000 to 400,000 bottles. Harvesting is carried out by hand.

Vinification and Ageing

The wines are aged for 18 months, using 95% new oak barrels.