1921 Gruaud Larose

The 1921 Gruaud Larose is a vintage that I have not encountered since March 2012 at the château. This bottle came from the "Sarget" part of the then-divided Saint-Julien, as indicated on the dusty label with an original cork. This is absolutely divine, perhaps even better than the previous example. The 1921 is faded ruby in hue with bricking on the rim. The bouquet is beguiling, featuring wonderfully delineated scents of wild strawberry, cedar and a hint of peppermint. Like many wines of this antiquity, it’s almost Burgundian in personality. The palate is medium-bodied, very harmonious, smooth and sensual, with strawberry and candied orange peel notes. There is an extant sweetness that is utterly beguiling. This is magnificent. Tasted at Jancis Robinson's "Old Bottle" dinner in London.

The 1921 Gruaud Larose was a disjointed, clumsy, closed, astringently tannic wine with little fruit remaining. Other than a handful of 1921s that ranged from several surprisingly strong examples of Montrose, to old, decrepit bottles of Cheval Blanc, this great vintage has largely escaped my palate. But to paraphrase the late A.J. Liebling, "if you can't afford them, then it's nice to know someone who can." 1921 was one of those extremely hot Bordeaux growing seasons (more recently 1947, 1949, 1959, 1982, 1989, and 1990 have enjoyed similar summers and harvests). Because of high alcohol, low acidity, and a certain fragility to the wines, the vintage has always been considered to be very great, but short-lived.. This flight represented an extraordinary, once in a lifetime opportunity to look at some of that vintage's greatest wines - all purchased from private cellars in Europe in pristine condition. Only the Gruaud Larose had been recorked. The notes for this wine are taken from the description of Series V - Flight B of the 1995 tasting conducted in Munich by Helga and Hardy Rodenstock. Many years after the tasting from which this note derives allegations were made concerning the authenticity of old and rare bottles of wine sold by Hardy Rodenstock to collectors around the world. The matter has been the subject of numerous articles, litigation and at least one book. Mr. Parker believes that the wines served to him at this tasting were authentic so this note and the others from that specific tasting continue to be posted on eRobertParker.com.