2021 Château Saint-Pierre, St Julien, Bordeaux

2021 Château Saint-Pierre, St Julien, Bordeaux

Product: 20218015529
 
2021 Château Saint-Pierre, St Julien, Bordeaux

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Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
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Description

Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 14%, Cabernet Franc 9%, Petit Verdot 7%

Along with its sister St Julien property, Château Gloria, this estate remains slightly enigmatic and under the radar. This will change going forward: Bordeaux’s biodynamic pioneer, Jean-Michel Comme (previously of Pontet-Canet) now consults here, and the first step is conversion to organics. The 2021 is impressive, with a confident and composed bouquet showing hints of graphite and sandalwood. The interesting and amplified palate offers the same notes, enhanced by minty freshness. As always, this is very assured, without flamboyance but full of promise. Drink 2026-2042.

Our score: 17/20

Berry Bros. & Rudd, April 2022

wine at a glance

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Critics reviews

Neal Martin, Vinous90-92/100

The 2021 Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) is tighter and more controlled on the nose compared to the Gloria, which was picked one day later. It feels nicely focused, with a little more mineral tension. The palate is medium-bodied and a bit coarser than the Gloria. Quite dense, with fine grip, driven along by the Cabernet Sauvignon, and fine tannins. Over three samples, it just narrows a little toward the finish, which is missing a bit of heft. Nevertheless, a commendable and classic Saint-Pierre.

Drink 2027 - 2048

Neal Martin, vinous.com, (May 2022) Read more

Jane Anson93/100

Enjoyable damson and red cherry fruit, sandalwood smoke adds depth though the mid palate, with stretched out tannins studded through with white pepper and turmeric. This is bight and well handled, good strcutre, firm tannins, austere but finessed. 34hl/h yield, first year organic conversion, Jean-Michel Comme consultant.

Drink 2028 - 2042

Jane Anson, janeanson.com (May 2022) Read more

Jancis Robinson MW16.5/20

Cassis notes to the fore. Palate firm and structured, the tannins present offering plenty of drive and persistence. Less St-Julien fruit present but solid, upright, the tannic structure firmly in place. Some potential for ageing.

Drink 2028 - 2040

James Lawther, jancisrobinson.com (May 2022) Read more

Wine Advocate91-93/100

The 2021 Saint-Pierre is very pretty, offering up aromas of plums, wild berries, sweet spice box, cigar wrapper and nicely integrated new oak. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, it's a charming, fleshy wine with lively acids and fine length on the finish. It's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and fully 7% Petit Verdot—the latter having, in fact, been co-planted among Cabernet in some of the estate's older vine holdings, but only formally identified as such now.

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (Apr 2022) Read more

James Suckling92-93/100

Blackcurrant and blackberry aromas and flavors with graphite and licorice. Medium body, fine tannins and a savory finish.

James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (May 2022) Read more

About this WINE

Château Saint-Pierre

Château Saint-Pierre

Château Saint-Pierre is the smallest Classified Growth in St Julien. It was ranked a Fourth Growth in 1855, but over the next century it was broken up into smaller and smaller parts. It was restored to its original holdings in 1982 by then-owner Henri Martin, proprietor of nearby Château Gloria. Today, his legacy lives on through his son-in-law Jean-Louis Triaud, and Jean-Louis’s own children.

The elegant château building looks rather classic, but it belies a surprisingly modern approach behind the scenes. Infrared photography of the vineyard allows the team to carefully plan out harvesting schedules to the level of the individual plant. This 17-hectare estate is undergoing organic conversion and holds HVE-3 certification. Viticulture follows a bespoke mix of techniques picked up from organics and biodynamics, which Jean-Louis calls “our own system”.

There have been advances in the winery, too. Instead of pumping-over once in the morning and once in the afternoon, there are small pump-overs at hourly intervals, working around the clock. Amphorae are already a fixture of the cellar, and Jean-Louis hopes to reach a 50-50 balance between amphorae and the more traditional new French oak barriques.

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St Julien

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 CasesCh.Léoville Barton, Ch Léoville Poyferré, Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou, Ch Langoa Barton, Ch Gruaud Larose, Ch. Branaire-Ducru, Ch. Beychevelle

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Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

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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