2012 Berry Bros. & Rudd St Julien by Ch. Haut-Beychevelle de Gloria
About this WINE
Ch. Haut-Beychevelle de Gloria
Château Haut-Beychevelle de Gloria has been owned by the Martin family for more than three centuries, and is considered to be their most historic property. The family also owns four other chateaux in the Beychevelle region : Château Saint-Pierre, Château Gloria, Château Bel Air, Château Peymartin.
The Martin Family have occupied various positions over the years; farmers, cellar masters, coopers; all linked to viticulture. The small five hectare vineyard at Château Haut-Beychevelle de Gloria has vines of an average age of thirty, and is located in the heart of the Saint-Julien appellation.
The grapes include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc and are handpicked and fermented in traditional heat-regulated stainless steel containers. The wine is aged for twelve months in casks for depth and complexity of flavour.
St Julien
St Julien is the smallest of the "Big Four" Médoc communes. Although, without any First Growths, St Julien is recognised to be the most consistent of the main communes, with several châteaux turning out impressive wines year after year.
St Julien itself is much more of a village than Pauillac and almost all of the notable properties lie to its south. Its most northerly château is Ch. Léoville Las Cases (whose vineyards actually adjoin those of Latour in Pauillac) but, further south, suitable vineyard land gives way to arable farming and livestock until the Margaux appellation is reached.
The soil is gravelly and finer than that of Pauillac, and without the iron content which gives Pauillac its stature. The homogeneous soils in the vineyards (which extend over a relatively small area of just over 700 hectares) give the commune a unified character.
The wines can be assessed as much by texture as flavour, and there is a sleek, wholesome character to the best. Elegance, harmony and perfect balance and weight, with hints of cassis and cedar, are what epitomise classic St Julien wines. At their very best they combine Margaux’s elegance and refinement with Pauillac’s power and substance.
Ch. Léoville Las Cases produces arguably the most sought-after St Julien, and in any reassessment of the 1855 Classification it would almost certainly warrant being elevated to First Growth status.
Recommended Châteaux: Ch. Léoville Las Cases, Ch.Léoville Barton, Ch Léoville Poyferré, Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou, Ch Langoa Barton, Ch Gruaud Larose, Ch. Branaire-Ducru, Ch. Beychevelle
Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.
In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and Australia.
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Description
Made for us by Ch. Haut-Beychevelle Gloria in the very heart of St Julien, this 2012 is a typical Bordeaux blend. Vinified traditionally and aged for 12 months in oak barriques, the wine is beautifully constructed. With a vivid crimson colour, pure cassis and tobacco leaf on the nose, the palate is a cascade of jammy blackberry and raspberry fruit, with a rounded hint of vanilla on the finish. Light on its feet, medium-bodied and tremendously elegant, we suggest that you serve with lamb or roast pork, and drink now or over the next two years.
With a focus on provenance, these superlative bottles are classified by commune and highlight the fruitful collaborations between the producers and buyers, creating wines with superb finesse.. Whether from Pomerol or Meusault, Barolo or Gevrey-Chambertin, the design of each label references its region of origin, prominently displaying both the name of the estate and the signature of the buyer.
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