2015 Château Gloria, St-Julien

Exceptionally deep crimson. Deep and crisp and even on the nose. Very good concentrated glossy fruit. Polished and racy. A very neat, accomplished rendition that's almost drinkable already, so well handled are the tannins. Bravo! Showing much better than its stablemate Ch St Pierre when I tasted it, this could be GV

The 2015 Gloria is intense and quite powerful, but also a bit rough around the edges. Iron, smoke, red stone fruit, pencil shavings and tobacco give the wine its rustic personality, an impression that is reinforced by the burly tannins. There is good intensity in the glass, even if some angular contours remain. Hints of inky crème de cassis and spice add the closing shades of Saint-Julien expression. Tasted three times.

The 2015 Gloria is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot cropped at 51 hl/ha, matured in 40% new wood. It was picked between 21 September and finishing on 7 October with the Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a fragrant bouquet with dark cherries, cedar and touches of cigar box - classic Saint Julien in many ways, though it does not have the complexity of great recent vintages such as the 2010. The palate is well balanced, clean and pure with fine tannin. The acidity is nicely judged, not a million miles away from the 2015 Lagrange in terms of its refinement, but this has perhaps a touch more detail on the finish. Perhaps one of the more approachable Saint Julien wines this vintage, give this 4-5 years in bottle and then drink over the next 20 years.

Pretty Gloria with plenty of tension and energy. Full body yet silky textured and extremely long. Exciting.