The estate of Gruaud Larose in Saint-Julien has been divided up and joined together many times over the years.  It was first owned by Joseph Stanislas Gruaud, a knight, followed by 2 other members of the Gruaud family, a judge and a priest.  They combined their various properties in Bordeaux to create a 116 hectare winemaking estate which they named Fond Bedau.  The judge and priest decided to bottle their own wines separately- the priest called his wine Chevalier de Gruaud, and the judge named his Abbe Gruaud.

In the early 1900s, the Cordier family acquired both the Sarget and Bethmann portions of the original estate and renamed the property Gruaud Larose once more.  Jacques Merlaut, owner of Chateau La Gurgue, Haut Bages Liberal, Citran, Ferriere, and Chasse Spleen, purchased the property in 1997 and owns it to this day.  Merlaut strives to make this Grand Cru Classé the most natural expression of wine by using organic compost and waste water treatment to protect and defend the grape viness.