The 1981 Gruaud Larose is a bottle that I chose when proprietor Jean Merlaut invited me to pick a mature vintage. Though it is now a rather forgotten year, I have fond memories of the Gruaud Larose and I was intrigued to find out if it was still drinking well. The answer is yes. At 37 years old it has an exquisite, understated but very well defined bouquet: briary, cedar and tobacco, less of the mintiness I have noticed in previous bottles but very pure. The palate is medium-bodied with light and crisp tannin. This is a well balanced, elegant and refined, classic “old school” Claret without a care in the world. Bottles of sound provenance will still give pleasure. (NM)

The 1981 vintage of Gruaud-Larose has been drinking well since age ten, but it remains very nicely balanced and structured and has plenty of life still in it. The bouquet is bright and complex and now transitioning to a nice, tertiary stage, offering up scents of backed black fruit, cigar wrapper, a touch of meatiness, charred wood, celery salt and dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with fine focus, melting tannins and lovely length and grip on the complex finish.

A top success for the vintage, the 1981 Gruaud-Larose is dark ruby, with a full-intensity bouquet of ripe black currants, spicy oak, plums, leather, smoked meat, and violets. This wine is concentrated on the palate, with rich, tannic, lingering flavors. (RP)