Château Saint-Pierre 2018

The estate has made progress in its ageing practices, and this 2018 illustrates it. It retains its great finesse and the elegance of its tannins, while gaining in purity and definition. A very fine success.

Composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot, the 2018 Saint-Pierre bursts from the glass with a glorious perfume of kirsch, blackcurrant pastilles, black raspberries and cedar chest, with hints of red roses, pencil shavings and spice box. The medium- to full-bodied palate coats the mouth with velvety tannins and beautifully knit freshness, supporting generous layers of black and red berries, finishing long and perfumed. It needs a good four years for the oak to integrate and the fruit to really hit its stride, then it should drink well for a further 20+ years.

Sports a beam of cassis, plum purée and blackberry sauce running through the middle while roasted applewood, violet and sweet tobacco notes run along the edges. Everything meets and then extends through the finish, with an echo of warm cast iron at the very end. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2038.

Extremely well-judged, gentle grilled oak and charcoal along with redcurrant and raspberry fruits on the nose. Fresh acidity, with clear life ahead. Overall supremely elegant, with juice and balance that is something to celebrate.

Aromas of blackberries, currants, dried earth, coffee and chocolate orange, as well as some crushed stone. It’s medium-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Fresh with lingering citrus zest and bitter chocolate. Fine texture. Try from 2024.

77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot. Barrel sample. Deepest purple colour. Aromatic with dark red fruit and tea leaf, even a touch floral. Sadly, that fruit is rather overwhelmed by the oak on the palate, but the tannins are smooth if quite dense. Chewy finish. (JH)

Deep in color, the wine kicks off with flowers, smoky currants, spice, espresso and cigar box notes. From there, the richly textured dark red fruits provide layers of lusciously textured, fresh berries and toasty oak. Balanced, elegant and fresh, give this some time to fully come together and allow the oak to fully integrate. The wine was produced from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc.

Deep ruby-garnet, purple glints, faintly lighter at the rim. Fragrance of black berries, a hint of liquorice, and savoury-tobacco nuances underpinned by a hint of nougat and Irish moss. Juicy, red sweetheart cherries, fine fruit expression, delicate tannins, lovely freshness. A multifaceted food companion. (2020-2035)

77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot. Very deep purple with an opaque core. Fascinating bouquet with refined cassis spice, ripe plums and dried thyme, backed by dark noble woods and chocolate truffles. On the palate, powerful, with a very tight-knit tannic framework, finely grained extract and a perfectly toned body. Long-lasting finish with black berries, Tasmanian mountain pepper and dark graphite – still a hidden gem in St.-Julien (there’s a funny story about the owners in WW 04-05/18), so definitely buy and lay it down!

Kunz barrel sample 19: complex, dense, dark, powerful bouquet; black berries, cassis, currants, cedar, noble woods, slate, flint, a hint of fine licorice. Concentrated, elegant, multi-layered palate with powerful, fine fruit, diverse dark aromatics, a classic, finely muscular structure, plenty of fine tannins, and a very long, concentrated, aromatic finish.

Concentrated, profound, powerful, dark bouquet: black cassis, black berries, truffle, black olives, graphite, dark chocolate. Dense, dark, powerful, aromatic palate with a concentrated, finely muscular structure, complex, dark, powerful aromatics, plenty of fine tannins, powerful, dark, velvety fruit, and a very long, dense, powerful finish with many lingering flavors. 19/20 2026 - 2055

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, liquorice, grilled cedar, smoked caramel. Great stuff, with a mint leaf finish. 50% new oak, harvest September 20 to October 1.

Saint-Pierre 2018 has a deep garnet-purple color. It gives up compelling scents of fresh blackcurrants, black cherry compote, and boysenberries, plus touches of star anise, cardamom, and incense, with a waft of wood smoke. Full-bodied, the palate has a plush texture and bags of black fruit, finishing long and fragrant.

Great sap, it’s a complete and astonishing wine.

Precise, intense and compact bouquet, marked by notes of graphite and black berries. The élevage is perfectly integrated and the nose shows convincing freshness. Juicy, fruit-driven attack on the palate, with tannins providing power while the acidic structure ensures freshness. A wine that bets on balance and persistence. A fine success.

Logo on the cork: AL

This firm wine shows layers of tannins as well as the warm, rich black fruits typical of the vintage. Black-currant flavors along with the tannins give a dense wine with aging potential. Drink from 2026.