(64% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot): Bright medium red with an amber edge. Archetypal mature Gruaud-Larose aromas of truffle, smoked beef, earth, cedar, and tobacco complicate red cherry on the expressive. Fresh and juicy in the mouth, with a graceful quality to the red cherry, spicecake, orange rind and aromatic herb flavors. The finish is bright, long and clean, showing subtle underbrush notes at the back. I have always felt the 1983 Gruaud to be a success but bottles I've had in the past have been marked by gamey, animal aromas and dry, earthy flavors. Not this time: I've never had a better bottle of Gruaud-Larose from this vintage.

A blockbuster 1983, Gruaud-Larose can be drunk now, but promises to keep for at least another 20-25 years. Typical of the wines this property made in the late seventies and early eighties, it offers a full throttle style, an opaque dark ruby/purple color with no amber at the edges, and a huge nose of melted road tar, new saddle leather, grilled meats, and black fruits. It is sure to be controversial among those tasters looking for only new oak and fruit aromas. Powerful, spicy, and full-bodied, with surprising viscosity for a 1983, this wine's low acidity allows it to be appreciated now, but there are still formidable quantities of sweet tannins in the finish. One of the most successful wines produced in 1983, it is still available in the marketplace at a reasonable price. Last tasted, 4/93.