Château Gruaud Larose

Founded in 1725 by Joseph Stanislas Gruaud, the estate was originally known as Fond-Bedeau. In 1781, it was inherited by the Chevalier de Lasalle, who added the name Larose to the property. The estate underwent a significant division in 1867, resulting in two separate entities known as Gruaud Larose Sarget and Gruaud Larose Bethmann. This partition lasted for nearly seventy years until the Cordier family, which had already purchased the Sarget portion in 1917, acquired the Bethmann section in 1935 to reunite the vineyard holdings. Since 1997, the estate has been owned by the Merlaut family under the leadership of Jean Merlaut of the Taillan Group, who has overseen modernization and vineyard restructuring.

The estate covers 82 hectares in the Saint-Julien appellation, characterized by a single block of vines situated on a high plateau of Garonne gravel from the Quaternary period. This gravelly surface sits above a clay-rich subsoil that provides critical water regulation for the vines during dry periods. The vineyard is currently planted with approximately 64 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 percent Merlot, 4 percent Cabernet Franc, and 2 percent Petit Verdot. Under the direction of technical manager Virginie Sallette, the property transitioned to organic viticulture and received official certification in 2022. Winemaking takes place in a combination of wooden, cement, and stainless steel vats, followed by aging in French oak barrels for 18 to 24 months.

Classified as a Second Growth in the 1855 classification of the Médoc, the winery is known for a style that combines structural density with the characteristic balance of Saint-Julien. The primary wine, Château Gruaud Larose, has a reputation for longevity and typically features notes of dark fruit, cedar, and earth. In 1979, the estate introduced a second label called Sarget de Gruaud Larose, named after Baron Sarget, a former 19th-century owner of the property. The estate is also recognizable for its 18-meter-high modern tower which overlooks the vineyard plateau. It remains one of the largest contiguous estates among the classified growths, maintaining its dimensions largely unchanged for over two centuries.