1998 Ch. Gloria, St Julien
Critics reviews
Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate, 23rd April 1999
Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate, 23rd April 1999
About this WINE
Chateau Gloria
Château Gloria is an unclassified St-Julien property that produces clarets that equal in quality those from the more prestigious classed growths. Henri Martin, a cooper by upbringing, took over the property in 1942 and began purchasing plots of 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 realised his lifetime ambition of owning a Grand Cru Classé property.
Henri Martin died in 1991 and Gloria is now run by his son-in-law Jean-Louis Triaud. The wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. It is aged in a combination of large oak foudres and small oak barrels (50% new).
Gloria produces a wine that is typically deep in colour and rich, cassis-laden and cedary on the palate. It normally needs 7-10 years of bottle age to show at its best.
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
Ch. Gloria is an unclassified St Julien property that produces Clarets which more than equal those of many more prestigious Classed Growths. Henri Martin, a cooper by upbringing, took over the property in 1942 and began purchasing plots of 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. Henri Martin died in 1991 and Gloria is now run by his son-in-law Jean-Louis Triaud.
Drinking perfectly now, this is concentrated and rich on the nose, with some pepper, cigar, ripe strawberry and blackcurrant. It is balanced brilliantly on the palate, with lovely fresh acidity and silky, structured tannins. This is a complex and charming Gloria, always one of St Julien’s, and Bordeaux's, best-value buys.
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