A complete knockout of a wine in 2023. Deep, vibrant purple in colour. Lots of milk chocolate, some exotic spices and black fruit touches on the nose, along with floral scents of roses and violets - smells gorgeous. Supple and filling, an immediate weight and texture on the palate, thick silk and ripe fruit, massy but then almost straight away quite clean and crisp. Forward and focussed, tannins RE supportive but so well integrated into the wine - almost a seamless expression - with plenty of underlying power. It’s delicious. Very drinkable, finessed and restrained, nothing overdone, no harshness. Everything feels in its place. Juicy and succulent cherry, blackcurrant and blueberry with high mouthwatering acidity. A great wine, I love it because it’s layered and lifted, you can feel the sculpting with muscles on show and it feels very ‘put together’. There’s lots of strict Cabernet, but this has a touch of plushness which you can't help but smile at. A top buy in 2023. 40% grand production, taken from 60% of the estate. 15% press wine.

(TWI 94-96 points) Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Gruaud Larose leaps with vibrant notes of cassis, fresh blackberries, and mulberries giving way to nuances of tapenade, iris, pencil shavings, and iron ore. The palate is light-bodied and airy, with beautiful poise and soft silky tannins, delivering a lively burst of mineral and red berry notes on the finish. This is nicely done! The blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, and 2.5% Cabernet Franc, with pH 3.80. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2023 Gruaud Larose is silky, deep and exquisite. It's a wine of superb balance and class. Plush contours and wonderfully vibrant fruit are the signatures. Crème de cassis, chocolate, new leather and lavender kiss of French oak play off a core of dark-fleshed fruit. Gruaud Larose is one of the most expressive wines in Saint-Julien. - Antonio Galloni

Vibrant colour that speaks of a great En Primeur wine, with the bright acidities that seem typical in these appellations of 2023. More subdued than some sibling St Juliens, this has a serious feel, with the Cabernets very much on the savoury, stately side, sinewy and with touches of raspberry leaf and peony, fragrant and floral. Plenty of ageing capacity ahead, but don't feel that you will have to wait too long to begin drinking. Old school and delicous. The Cabernet levels are above 80% as has been true for the last few years, a result of the vines coming in to the right age after extensive replanting.

Cassis, graphite, sappy tobacco, damp earth, and violets all emerge from the 2023 Château Gruaud Larose, a classic, quintessential Saint-Julien that ranks with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Based on 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, and 2.5% Cabernet Franc and aged 18 months in 95% new French oak, it's medium-bodied and nicely concentrated on the palate, with integrated tannins and acidity, solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish. This rock-solid effort will hit maturity around age 10 and have 30 years of overall prime drinking. Drink 2033-2066. - Jeb Dunnuck

(JL 93-95 points) Tobacco leaf, cedar, red, with black currants, wet earth, smoke, and blackberries crowd into the perfume. On the palate, the wine is bright, fresh, juicy, classic, firm, crisp, and chewy, with layers of spicy, black, and red berries that linger. There is lift, and precision in this modern version of a classic Bordeaux. Give it some time in the bottle to fill out, and it is going to be even better! 2023 is the second, fully-organic vintage for the vineyard. The wine is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, and 2.5% Cabernet Franc.12.62% ABV, 3.4 pH. Picking took place September 11 – September 25. Drink from 2029-2060.

A muscular Gruaud. Chewy and structured, with black currant, flint, thyme and spice aromas that follow through to a medium to full body and plenty of tannins that are not overpowering. Needs time to soften. Best after 2028. James Suckling Senior Editor