Full-bodied, layered and juicy young wine. Very tannic yet ripe and intense. Powerful finish. This will be excellent. Better than the 2015. - March 2017

This is well built and powerful, not exactly subtle, but then none of these wines are. Instead you get complex, layered and concentrated inky fruits, with some aniseed too. The balance and elegance of St-Julien comes in through the tailored and fine tannins on the finish, but while these tannins may be fine, there are lots of them. 80% new oak. - decanter.com, Jane Anson, October 2018

The 2016 Gruaud Larose is blended of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with notes of red and black cherries, warm plums and freshly crushed blackcurrants plus hints of violets, oolong tea, aniseed and tilled soil with a waft of garrigue. Medium-bodied, the palate struts tons of elegantly fragrant red and black fruit flavors with a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and loads of freshness, finishing long and perfumed.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Nov 2018

The ultimate in fine, traditional claret, Gruaud Larose combines clean, modern winemaking with traditional style. Tight, quite backward. Pure blackcurrant, touch of gravelly, mineral character. Soft, plump tannins create a plush mouthfeel, framing a bright, charming Gruaud with pure, clean fruit. Black fruit gives way to fresher, strawberry and red cherry notes. Great perfume in the mouth. Finishes bright and clean. Great character, lovely linear style. Will fill out. - April 2017

The 2016 Gruaud-Larose has quite a fruit-driven, generous bouquet of layers of black and red fruit laced with graphite and tertiary aromas. Is there just a slight touch of brettanomyces here? The medium-bodied palate is earthy and a little ferrous, with rounded tannin, and quite approachable compared to its peers. Slightly smudged toward the finish, but it shows great persistence. Very fine, very Gruaud.
Vinous, Jan 2019

This delivers a pure beam of cassis and cherry preserves, underscored by a layer of warm dark earth. Stays polished in feel, with lovely freshness on the relatively open-knit finish. - James Molesworth (WineSpectator.com, April 2017)

Initially there's a whiff of sweet oak, and then underneath there is the vineyard and real savour. Ripe but not forced. Good stuff with a 'mineral' whiff. Not a blockbuster but very well balanced with lovely length. Drink 2025-2045. - jancisrobinson.com, April 2017