2020 Chateau Gloria Saint-Julien

Chateau Gloria is fairly unique among the major appellations on the left bank of Bordeaux. The estate was only pieced together in the 1970's so there is no 1855 classification that the estate can rest its hat on. Instead, Chateau Gloria has to prove its quality and value year after year with exceptional wine. This estate regularly produces wine worthy of mention among the very best producers of Saint Julien.

Created by Henri Martin, this estate is unique in having been built up piece by piece over several years through the purchase of parcels, the majority of which were classified as “Grands Crus” in 1855. The origin of the terroirs and the painstaking growing and vinification techniques are the reasons why its quality is recognized worldwide.

So why isn’t the Château a “cru classé”? The answer is simple: it didn’t exist at the time of the 1855 classification. This Saint-Julien Château nevertheless lives up to its name, alluding to glory and success, but also faith: the faith of a man of our time who managed to “invent” a new “cru” and bring it up to the highest level of recognition.

2020 was a great year for Bordeaux. Vinous Media blessed this year with a 97-point review and said, "Two thousand-twenty is an exceptional vintage for Bordeaux, certainly the best in the 2018-2020 trilogy. Quality is very, very high."

Aging: 14 months in 60% New French Oak

Red Wine. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. This wine is deep and dark in the glass. The nose showcases the bright fruit characteristic of this fresh vintage with depth of baking spices and light tobacco aromatics. The palate is full-bodied, round, and refined, with a long and complex finish.

The 2020 Gloria is another Saint-Julien with an unapologetically backward nose, yet it has razor-sharp delineation and superb mineralité. It's just tightly coiled at the moment. Very harmonious, the palate is medium-bodied and satiny in texture, with sapid black fruit and a precocious yet beautifully controlled and persistent finish. Outstanding. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. ~95 Vinous Media

Lively and decisivein the sensory profile showing notes of lavender, hibiscus, guaranà, lemon blossom, lime peel and coriander. A lot of cherries dominate the secondary scene and bring character and shine to the matrix. Full bodied, perfectly mature tannins and a solid, centred finale which shows elegance, strength and modernity. Better from 2025. ~95 WinesCritic.com

This is poised and elegant with notes of bitter chocolate, crushed walnuts, black peppercorns, blackberries and blackcurrants. It’s medium-bodied with silky tannins and layers of fresh black fruit. Classy. Try from 2026. ~94 James Suckling

Tobacco, dark chocolate and scented flowers on the nose - beautiful aromatic display. Ripe and concentrated fruit but with clarity and precision alongside savoury elements of coffee, cola and creamy blackcurrants. Tannins are rich and grippy edged by liquorice and a salty minerality giving St-Julien typicity. Charming with energy and poise. ~94 Decanter

Just about a perennial must-buy, the 2020 Château Gloria is another terrific vintage for this Saint-Julien château, which always seems to turn out a fabulous wine that sells for a great price. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as impressive aromatics of ripe blackcurrants, plums, camphor, smoked tobacco, and gravelly earth, it's a wine that blossoms with time in the glass. (I followed this bottle for multiple days.) Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has beautifully polished tannins, outstanding balance, and the more focused style of the vintage. Tasted twice with consistent notes. ~93 Jeb Dunnuck

Youthfully taut and well-structured, with singed apple wood and licorice root notes holding a core of red currant, dark plum and blackberry fruit in check for now. Reveals a nice racy graphite underpinning on the finish. One for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2038. ~93 Wine Spectator

Rich, generous and demonstrative, the 2020 Gloria bursts with aromas of cherries, sweet berries, plum liqueur and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and generous, it will offer a broad drinking window. ~92 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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