Chateau Gruaud Larose is a wine estate in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Medoc, ranked as a second growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification.It is widely regarded as a classic Saint-Julien wine, and is known for its sensible pricing. The vineyard is situated southwest of the village of Beychevelle, on gravel banks sloping towards le Marais de Beychevelle, a marsh that separates Saint-Julien from the vineyards of the central Medoc. The soil is a mix of gravel, pebbles, sand, clay and humus over a subsoil of different clays, sand and pebbles. A total of 82 hectares (203 acres) are planted – 60 percent of vines are Cabernet Sauvignon, with 30 percent Merlot, 7 percent Cabernet Franc and 3 percent Petit Verdot. The proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon has risen in recent decades and there are plans to increase this to around 70 percent over coming years. In the winery, grapes are fermented in large wooden vats before aging in barrel for 18 months.