2024 Chateau Gloria, Saint-Julien

Medium to full intensity deep plum colour, lovely spice, textured graphite, pumice, powerful and sculpted bright fruits, this is thoroughly enjoyable, a real success in a vintage.Triaud family owners, 34 hl/ha yield.

Based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, with the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2024 Château Gloria reveals rock-solid cassis, graphite, smoky tobacco, and nicely integrated oak notes. Medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a slightly modern style, it has pure fruit, fine tannins, and a great finish.

Flowers, currants, cherries, and tobacco resonate in the nose, and on the medium-bodied, soft, fruity, red-berry packed palate. The wine is fresh, forward, and fruity, so you can enjoy it on, or just shortly after release. Drink from 2027-2038.

The 2024 Gloria has a light nose with blackberry, leather and loamy aromas that require a bit of coaxing from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with rigid tannins, moderate depth, gentle grip and a slightly blocky finish. It's not close to the peaks that Gloria can achieve (and there have been several in recent years), but this is a swarthy Saint-Julien that should mellow with bottle age.

Aromas of blackberries, cassis and toasty oak introduce the 2024 Gloria, a medium-bodied, lively wine built around youthfully chalky tannins.

56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Berry fruit with a minty freshness. Layered fruit on the palate, the tannins firm but fully integrated. Plenty of persistence on the finish. Has the substance and structure to age. (JL)