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B-21 Top Recommendation
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“Fabulous…a wine of pure and total seduction. One of the best values in Bordeaux.”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Garnering unanimous critical acclaim usually reserved for Bordeaux’s heavy hitters, the lush and layered 96 pt. 2019 Gloria knocks it out of the park, its aromatic ripe, succulent fruit hinting of crushed stone and cedar with vibrant, harmonious tannins and a long, generous finish offering “pure pleasure” that’s “hard to resist” according to Inside Bordeaux’s Jane Anson, built to age for another two decades at an incredible bargain price.
Located in the richly historic Saint-Julien appellation, Chateau Gloria is the exception to the rule, a relatively new Bordeaux estate founded by Bordeaux-born winemaker Henri Martin, known as the manager and driving force behind innovations at First Growth Chateau Latour and named by the Wine Spectator as one of “10 Vintners Who Shaped the Modern Wine World.” After purchasing 6 hectares from Chateau Beychevelle on the advice of Jean-Charles Cazes of Chateau Lynch-Bages, Henri pieced together vineyards in Saint-Julien from the top estates named in the 1855 Classification including Gruaud-Larose, Branaire-Ducru and even a small plot of Saint-Julien vines owned by Pauillac’s Chateau Duhart-Milon, establishing Chateau Gloria in the 1970s with mostly cru classe vineyards and naming it after the lieu-dit on which his family’s majestic home was built. Now run by Henri’s son-in-law Jean-Louis Triaud and estate director Remi Di Costanzo, formerly of Cos D’Estournel, Chateau Gloria remains an unclassified Chateau despite its pedigreed terroir, producing the estate’s exceptional Grand Vin from 50 hectares of organically farmed vineyards. Planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and small amounts of Cab Franc and Petit Verdot on varied soils composed of the region’s eponymous Gunzian gravel, the vineyard is divided into three main sections, one parcel planted close to Chateau Beychevelle near the Gironde, one to the west of the village and the remaining bordering Pauillac near Chateau Pichon Lalande, with vines averaging 40 years of age. Vinifying the hand harvested grapes in various sized stainless-steel vats in the estate’s newly renovated cellars, the elegant 2019 Chateau Gloria was aged for 14 months in 45% new French oak with the remainder in one year old barrels, yielding a rich core of fresh, velvet-textured fruit and vibrant, mineral-driven acidity “with creamy, linear tannins and a long flavorful finish” according to James Suckling, a stunning Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend promising years of longevity ahead.
Recommended as “a definite buy” by Bordeaux expert Jane Anson and declared “a no-brainer purchase for the wine lovers out there” by Jeb Dunnuck, the pure and polished 96 pt. 2019 Chateau Gloria boasts a Second Growth pedigree at a fraction of the price of its high profile Saint-Julien neighbors, rewarding savvy collectors who stock the cellar with the chance to indulge often and without hesitation for years to come. |
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The 2019 Gloria has a compelling nose: black fruit, crushed rocks, tobacco and very subtle marine scents that are all beautifully combined. Perhaps the most precise and delineated nose among an impressive array of Saint-Julien's this year. The palate is medium-bodied with a lively opening. A touch of soy infuses the black fruit; fine-boned with wonderful sapidity on the finish. Extraordinary length. Serious. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
96 points, Neal Martin, Vinous (Feb 2023)
Showing beautifully, with the polished, pure, elegant style of the vintage, the 2019 Château Gloria sports a deeper ruby/purple color as well as great aromatics of cassis and assorted blue fruits to go with smoked tobacco, cedar pencil, damp earth, and floral notes. I love its purity, and it's just a quintessential, medium to full-bodied, layered Saint-Julien that can be drunk today or cellared for a solid two decades. It should be a no-brainer purchase for the wine lovers out there.
95 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Apr 2022)
Rock-solid, with a mouthwatering roasted apple wood and mesquite frame around a well-layered core of black currant, blackberry and plum fruit flavors. The finish features dots of tobacco and tar that add range, but the real driver is a long bolt of iron, which gives this a throwback feel. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2038.
94 points, James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (Mar 2022)
Sweet berry and cherry aromas with violets, following through to a medium to full body with creamy, linear tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Tight and curated, in a structured way. Try after 2027.
94 points, James Suckling (Feb 2022)
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