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Château Gruaud-Larose is without a doubt one of the
storied names of Bordeaux. Given its
iconic status as one of the touchstones
of St Julien, it seems hardly necessary
to write an introduction for it, as
anyone who has been a wine-lover for
any small duration of time will have
come to know it.
Surprisingly, its origins are not all
clear. What is generally accepted is
that a wealthy and enthusiastic proprietor
by the name of Gruaud started the estate
by acquiring and merging three properties
(Tenac, Sartaignac and Dumarle) in the
18th century. Originally known as Fonbedeau,
the estate became known as Gruaud after
its early efforts at branding its wine,
by issuing the cuvées Abbé
Gruaud and Chevalier de Gruaud, paid
off. After the death of Monsieur Gruaud,
the estate passed into the hands of
the Monsieur de Larose, a member of
the nobility, whose distribution of
the wine among his peers soon earned
it a place at the highest tables in
France, and the motto 'Le Roi des Vins,
Le Vin des Rois' ('The king of wines
and the wine of kings'), which still
appears on its labels today. The wine,
by now called Gruaud-Larose, also earned
widespread recognition in the marketplace:
all the classifications of the 19th
century, up to and including the 1855
classification, are unanimous about
its status as a second growth. The estate
ended the century in two pieces (Gruaud-Larose-Sarget
and Gruaud-Larose-Faure), but was reunited
in 1934 by the house of Cordier, and
although late in the 20th century there
were a number of changes in ownership,
the continuity of management provided
by the technical director Georges Pauli
since 1970 has kept the quality of the
wine uncompromisingly high throughout.
Pauli has, for instance, initiated efforts
such as computerising all the data on
all of the 66 parcels separately identified
for the estate so as to understand the
fruit better, or a depth of monitoring
to follow the wine as it matures in
225-litre barriques bordelaises; and
needless to say the blend of typically
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25-30% Merlot
and 10-15% Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
and Malbec is optimised to its relatively
inland terroir. What this all adds up
to though is a wine that rarely disappoints,
even in supposedly weaker vintages.
Always the Gruaud style shines though:
a powerful, often barnyardy, bell-pepper-laced,
meaty nose, matched with a palate driven
by a core of ripe cassis and herbs,
with exceptionally well-judged structure.
Whisper this secret among friends, but
Gruaud-Larose is one of the longest
lived wines in the Medoc, so it's always
worth putting a few bottles away in
the cellar.
This May, thanks to the support of Crystal
Wines, we at the IWFSS are privileged
to have the chateau’s Managing
Director, Monsieur David Launay, to
personally take us through a selection
of the wines of Chateau Gruaud-Larose
spanning four decades. To match an iconic
wine, we've gone for one of Singapore's
iconic restaurants, Michelangelo's in
Chip Bee Gardens. Established since
1995 (an age in Singapore restaurant
terms!), Michelangelo's like Gruaud-Larose
has a secret to its longevity - unremittingly
good quality.
We expect this event to be well subscribed,
so please note that members will be
given priority for this event and reservation
for guests will be accepted only 48
hours after this email is sent out.
The Society proudly ….
Presents
Chateau Gruaud-Larose Dinner
Date: May 20th 2010 (Thursday)
Venue: Michelangelo's
Address: 44 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-60 Chip Bee Gardens
Time: 7:30 pm (Aperitif Reception),
8:00 pm (Dinner)
Price: Member (S$175) Guest (S$210)
Dress Code: Smart casual
Limited to 37 pax
Bookings and reservations: Please email:
C T Chen at ctchen@acieslaw.com for
reservations.
PLEASE NOTE: Reservations WILL NOT be
considered confirmed unless the Booking
Form together with Payment
is received by 12th May 2010.
Menu Selection:
Please choose either the Meat Option
OR Vegetarian Option.
Meat Menu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
APERITIF
Sarget de Gruaud Larose 2005
~~~
Beef Carpaccio dressed with Lemon Vinaigrette,
Wild Arugula and Shaved Parmesan
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1975
~~~
Gnocchi Roma with Duck Ragout hint of
Balsamic
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1989
~~~
Succulent Pork Belly confit with Wild
Rice Popcorn and Natural Jus
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1996
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1995
~~~
Roast Venison Tenderloin with Caramelized
Chestnut glace with Chocolate Sauce
and Pomegranate
Chateau Gruaud Larose 2003
~~~
French Cheese Platter: Pont L'Eveque,
St Maure, Bresse Bleu & St Paulin
served with Crudites of Vegetables,
Dried Apricot & Grapes
Les Carmes de Rieussec 2006
Vegan Menu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
APERITIF
Sarget de Gruaud Larose 2005
~~~
Cream of Cauliflower Soup hint with
Truffle Oil
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1975
~~~
Gnocchi Pasta in Basil Pesto Cream topped
with shaved Parmesan
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1989
~~~
Caprese: Buffalo Mozzarella, Roma Tomato
& Fresh Basil drizzled with Extra
Virgin Olive Oil
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1996
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1995
~~~
Grilled Vegetable Platter accompanied
with Lentil Brulée
Chateau Gruaud Larose 2003
~~~
French Cheese Platter : Pont L’eveque,
St. Maure, Bresse Bleu & St. Paulin
serve with Crudities of Vegetables,
Dried Apricot & Grapes
Les Carmes de Rieussec 2006
* Please reply with menu preference.
Non indication will be assumed preference
for Meat Menu *
Wine Selection:
Sarget de Gruaud Larose 2005
Chateau Gruaud Larose 2003
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1996
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1995
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1989
Chateau Gruaud Larose 1975
Les Carmes de Rieussec 2006
Regards,
CT Chen
President,
IWFS of Singapore |
