Château Gloria 1998

Characteristics and tasting tips for Château Gloria 1998

Tasting

Colour
The wine reveals a deep, dark ruby hue with brick-red highlights that bear witness to graceful ageing.

Nose
Expressive and complex, the nose opens with aromas of ripe black fruit such as blackcurrant, blackberry and plum. With aeration, it reveals subtle tertiary notes of chocolate, Virginia tobacco and cedar, along with a light smoky touch.

Palate
Generous and supple, the palate offers a velvety, harmonious texture. The tannins, though well integrated, remain present and support a balanced structure, leading to a finish of remarkable freshness and length.

Food and wine pairings

This wine pairs perfectly with grilled or roasted red meats, such as a dry-aged rib of beef or a rack of lamb. It is also a wonderful match for slow-cooked dishes such as beef cheek pot-au-feu, full-flavoured poultry such as roast duck, and aged hard cheeses like Comté or Beaufort.

Serving and cellaring

To fully appreciate this 1998 vintage, serve it at around 16°C. Decanting for one to two hours is recommended to allow the aromas to open up fully. This wine has reached a superb plateau of maturity and can be enjoyed now, while still offering a few more years of pleasure.

A full-bodied and refined red wine from Saint-Julien

The estate

Located in the prestigious Saint-Julien appellation in the Bordeaux region, Château Gloria has a unique history. Although the first plot was acquired in the late 1930s, the estate was officially founded in 1942 by Henri Martin. A true visionary, he patiently built up this vineyard by acquiring only land from 1855 Grands Crus Classés. Today, the property belongs to S.C Domaines Martin. Françoise and Jean-Louis Triaud, together with their children Jean and Vanessa, uphold the excellence of this unclassified growth, which rivals the very best.

The vineyard

Covering 50 hectares, this extensive vineyard is divided into three large blocks with exceptional terroirs. The vines, with an average age of 45 years, thrive on deep Günzian gravel soils over a subsoil of sand and clay. This warm, perfectly free-draining terroir offers ideal conditions for ripening the grapes. This Saint-Julien estate pays meticulous attention to preserving the natural balance of its soils, with rigorous vineyard management that respects the environment.

The vintage

In the Médoc, 1998 stands out as a vintage with a classic profile. The weather was marked by sometimes unpredictable conditions early in the season and a few rainy spells in the run-up to harvest. Nevertheless, the well-drained gravel terroirs enabled the grapes to reach an excellent level of ripeness, resulting in well-balanced wines.

Vinification and ageing

For this 1998 vintage, the grapes were harvested by hand so that only the finest bunches were selected. Faithful to Bordeaux tradition, vinification took place in temperature-controlled vats to preserve aromatic freshness. Once alcoholic fermentation was complete, malolactic fermentation was carried out in barrels. The wine was then carefully aged for around 14 months in French oak barrels, a significant proportion of them new, lending complexity and polish to its structure.

Grape varieties

This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (5%) and Petit Verdot (5%).