Chateau St Pierre 2006 and 2013 revisited.

The 2013 and 2006 Château Saint-Pierre wines are two exclusive offerings that showcase the youthful character of St. Julien Crus despite their age. With their deep, captivating ruby colour and tight garnet rim, these wines exemplify how well St. Julien can age. As noted by discerning BBR tasters, these classic St. Juliens are crafted for longevity, thanks to their massive structure and remarkable potential.

The 2013 vintage may initially present a woodier aroma, but this soon evolves to blend seamlessly with the dark fruit notes derived from the 65% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. This composition contributes a firm, currant-like fragrance and crisp, fresh acidity that invigorates the palate. As you savour the wine, the intense black jammy fruits become increasingly prominent, showcasing their sweetness and intensity. The concentrated blackberries envelop the palate, resulting in a focused and concentrated experience that culminates in a generous, perfectly balanced wine with ample power for its classification and vintage. While the finish is short by cru standard, the wine's dense core and persistent finish contribute to its elegance and subtle complexity.

The 2006 vintage of Château Saint-Pierre is regarded as one of the finest St. Juliens of its year and is considered a rare gem. It is a prized find with one of the smaller productions within this consistent appellation. This wine features notes of roasted herbs, coal, graphite, and extravagant crème de cassis, complemented by hints of liquorice and its deep opaque purple colour. It is powerful, rich, and deep, offering outstanding balance, purity, texture, and length. Compared to the 2013 vintage, the exceptional 2006 will remain viable for a long time.

Although the 2013 vintage may not appear particularly noteworthy, it offers remarkable value for its structure. This wine exceeds expectations with its potent body, robust tannins, and inviting texture. Some international critics have rated it highly, placing it in the 89-90 point range, while we rate it at DD91. Moreover, JS recently upgraded its score to 91, affirming its quality and exceptional value.

After 18 years in the bottle, the 2006 vintage exhibits even more "sexy" aromas and flavours of black and red currants, menthol, liquorice, and nutty oak, accentuated by a violet top note. The palate remains supple, classically dry, and exceptionally concentrated, with juicy acidity that enhances the flavours and extends the finish. A sound tannic structure should guarantee at least two more decades of development in the bottle for this sophisticated Saint-Julien. As it evolves, the 2006 Château Saint-Pierre reveals a ripe bouquet of blackberry, kirsch, cedar, and liquorice, signalling its approach to its optimal drinking window. The palate is sweet on entry, with liquorice-tinged black fruit complemented by slightly rustic tannins, concluding with a pleasantly spicy and peppery finish. Despite not possessing the precision of the 2013, the 2006 Saint-Pierre displays impressive depth.

What sets these 2013 and 2006 wines apart from other St. Julien crus is their affordability, making them attractive options for everyday enjoyment. They both capture the best characteristics of the Left Bank region, making them delightful choices for wine enthusiasts at all levels. Whether you are a seasoned connoisseur or a casual drinker, these exceptional wines will enchant you with their complex flavours, perfect balance, and impressive depth.

Talbot 2017 Revisited.

Experience the exclusivity of the 2017 Stéphane Derenoncourt wine, a true masterpiece of the St Julien region. With its dark ruby colour and floral aroma, this wine will captivate your senses from the first sip. The initial cedar oak and cigar box scents will gradually open up with decanting, revealing a delicate balance of fruit and structure that culminates in a mineral finish. The wine has consistently received high scores of 94 from VertdeVin and Yohan Castaing and 93 from WS.

VertdeVin describes the nose of the 2017 vintage as fruity, racy, and with a fine grain. The palate is fruity, fresh, mineral, and well-balanced, offering a juicy/acidulous frame, good definition, gourmandize, fat, and a small depth. The tannins are well-built and elegant, adding to the wine's complexity.

For those who relish the finer things in life, this wine rewards patience. The 2017 Stéphane Derenoncourt is a perfect example of a wine that can be aged to perfection, allowing its flavours to evolve and deepen. Revel in the luscious and ripe notes of cherry, raspberry, and cassis, beautifully balanced by hints of violet, lilac, and nutmeg. This wine epitomises refinement and sophistication, leaving a lasting impression on your palate with every sip.

Gloria 2016

This understated 2016 bottle as an age-worthy claret always shows those classy cassis notes with a secondary bouquet of pencil shavings, herbs and a cigar box on the nose. It may lack the floral dimension one may expect from outstanding wines; on entry, it tastes a bit saline, backward with even more structure than recent vintages we tasted, such as 2013 and even 2011, but its tannins are well-blende which will serve correctly as a severe wine. The palate is well balanced, loaded with Asian spices and black pepper that gain consistent support. Every true wine connoisseur is attracted to Chateau Gloria for that little 'unclassified' and 'mysterious' temperament. And Chateau Gloria's quality, which may have exceeded the more prestigious class growths in St. Julien, surpassed some of the even more learned.

Scores are high and consistent: RP93, JS94, LPB94, Decanter94. Willliam Kelley of Parker et al. wrote about Gloria 2016's almost Pauillac fruit profile(crème de cassis and blackberries mingled with sweet spices and liquorice), structure, and concentration. James Suckling awarded it JS94 and commended the dense and layered fruit, the full body with an appropriate toasty finish. Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW reminded us of the little swirling before notions of blackcurrant cordial, kirsch, and stewed black tea spilling from the glass. Then the wine in the glass will give hints of chargrill and wood smoke, finishing with a spicy kick. Also awarding it 94 points, Anson of Decanter wrote about the rich fruit, the fruit focus and delivery, the texture and the tension on the palate all jazzed up to give lots of liveliness.

A bit on the achievements of the owner Henri Martin, a cooper by upbringing, who took over the property in 1942 and began purchasing vineyards from classed growth properties such as Gruaud-Larose, Talbot, Lagrange and Léoville-Barton. By the mid-1960s, he had 50 hectares spread across the appellation. In 1982 he purchased Château St-Pierre and thus realized his lifetime ambition of owning a Grand Cru Classé property. Henri Martin died in 1991, and Gloria, operated by his son-in-law Jean-Louis Triaud is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25%Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. It aged in a combination of large oak foudres and small oak barrels (50% new). The vines are ancient. Along with big brother Saint Pierre, the quality here has improved massively in the last few years, and this is a top St Julien performer these days.