Updated: May 12, 2024
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.
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.
Updated: Mar 23, 2023
Every true wine connoisseur is attracted to Chateau Gloria for that little 'unclassified' and 'mysterious' temperament. And Chateau Gloria's excellent quality, which may have exceeded the more prestigious class growths in St. Julien, attracted some of them even more learned. But, of course, the character of the understated 2011 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 2013, but its tannins are well-blende wit, which will serve correctly more than a food wine. The palate is well balanced, and the wine will load with Asian spices and black pepper that gain consistent support. It may need 2+ hours for breathing in bott;e.
Owner Henri Martin, a cooper by upbringing, 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.
Tim Atkins, one of my tasting teachers on the MW course, gives 94 for 2011 Gloria. GG also awarded 92, who wrote on the bottle, 'Dark hue tinged with crimson. Extremely young nose revealing racy ageing and roasted coffee accents. On the palate, wonderful stuffing, full, rich wine with generous aromas. The oak is still very upfront, although the fruit is beginning to show.' Other scores include:
95 points Wine Enthusiast
A powerful wine—its concentrated tannins contrast its underlying juicy fruit. This is a flavorful medley of prunes, dark plums and blackberries; the finish is marked with juiciness. (4/2012). Edited.
92 points Wine Spectator
Mouthfilling and gutsy, a fun, rustic style with chewy plum, fig and blackberry backed by a very briary finish. (4/2012). Edited.
91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This estate continues to go from strength to strength. Another sleeper of the vintage, 2011, is excellent, possibly outstanding. Abundant aromas of cassis, forest floor, tobacco leaf and a vague hint of oak follow its dense ruby/purple colour. Ripe for the vintage with excellent texture, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and a delicious, savoury, broad appeal, this wine should drink well for at least a decade. (4/2012). Edited.
