2009 Chateau Gruaud Larose vs Chateau Gloria vs Chateau La Lagune Blind Tasting

2009 Chateau Gruaud Larose vs Chateau Gloria vs Chateau La Lagune Blind Tasting

An overseas wine connoisseur friend come over to Singapore and I hosted him and a few friends for dinner tonight. I gave some clues to this blind tasting:

1. They all came from the same vintage
2. They are all from Bordeaux
3. Two of the three bottles came from the same appellation
4. Two bottles are classified growth (Gruaud Larose and La Lagune) and one bottle is Cru Bourgeois (Gloria)

The result of five of us differed greatly. The two ladies who are not wine connoisseurs nailed the pair of St Julien wines, as well as being able to identify the classified growths, kudos to them for having the sharp women instincts. The males all differed in their answers. I just revealed what I preferred. My top choice went to Gruaud Larose, despite slight greenness and green stalks, with rather overpowering oak barrels trying to mask the fruit weakness, it was one of the most balanced wines amongst the three contenders. Gloria was my second choice, slightly lacked punch with its fruits, it exhibited a very elegant style for such a hot vintage. La Lagune disappointed me very much as the fruits were too overpowering and concentrated, a slight tendency towards the new world style to me.