2018 Saint Pierre
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Tasting notes
Creamy blackberry and loganberry fruits with touches of brioche, and flaky pastry. Young, needs time, still in the plump early fruit phase, more exuberant than a young Saint Pierre in most vintages, but this will close back up as there are plenty of tannins. I suggest giving it the full ten years to really show just how good this wine is. Layers of bitter chocolate, charcoal, liqourice, grilled cedar, smoked caramel. Great stuff, with a mint leaf finish. 50% new oak, harvest September 20 to October 1.
Critic scores
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Tom Parker MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Very dark crimson. Rather spicily exotic on the nose. Sweet and pleasing with tea-leaf aromas and chunky texture. Not yet knit by any means. (JR)
One of the smallest 1855 classified properties at 17ha, owned by Jean-Louis Triaud, and regularly one of my go-to estates in the appellation. This tells you why - it manages to deliver the balance and finesse of St Julien, but it's also just full of pleasure, a wine that you could put down on a busy table and still feel confident that it would make its presence felt. Liqourice, charcoal and grilled cedar sit alongside autumnal hedgerow fruits of blackberry, raspberry and loganberry, with fresh acidities and clear ageing potential. 46hl/h yield, 50% new oak.
The 2018 Saint-Pierre is even more intense than the Gloria on the nose, actually reminding me of the Léoville Poyferré that I tasted alongside. Copious black cherries, lavender, incense and violet just storm from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit laced with cedar and charcoal. Delivering wonderful delineation and focus and a disarming silky finish, this fulfills the promise that it showed from barrel. An outstanding Saint-Julien that should age well over the next 20–30 years.
About the producer
Henri Martin – the ex-cooper that created Ch. Gloria in the 1940s – purchased this Fourth Growth Saint-Julien estate in 1981. Today it is managed by Martin’s granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Vanessa and Jean Triaud.