Chateau Gruaud Larose Saint-Julien 1999

Still purple in colour. Lovely aromas of ripe, dark fruit in the nose; also cedar, light spices, leather and licorice. Smooth and velvety on the palate; still quite a bit of body and gentle tannins. Saint-Julien at its best - very good value for the price.
Probably at its peak; maximum 2-3 more years. 

On the palate this shows more of the under ripe harshness of the vintage. The fruit has either faded or shut down for the time being. Tannin and acidity provide some bite on the back end.