Château Gloria 2020

Youthfully taut and well-structured, with singed apple wood and licorice root notes holding a core of red currant, dark plum and blackberry fruit in check for now. Reveals a nice racy graphite underpinning on the finish. One for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2038.

Tobacco, dark chocolate and scented flowers on the nose – a beautiful aromatic display. Ripe, concentrated fruit with clarity and precision alongside savoury elements of coffee, cola and creamy blackcurrants. Tannins are rich and grippy, edged by liquorice and a salty minerality giving St-Julien typicity. Charming, with energy and poise.

This is poised and elegant with notes of bitter chocolate, crushed walnuts, black peppercorns, blackberries and blackcurrants. It’s medium-bodied with silky tannins and layers of fresh black fruit. Classy. Try from 2026.

Full bottle 1,295 g. Cask sample taken 31 March. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 11% Petit Verdot. Aged for just 14 months in cask. Deep crimson. Very lively and well balanced, with acidity, fruit and tannin all in nice harmony. Restrained but fully ripe. Classic and successful. Very appetising, with a long finish. (JR)

The 2020 Gloria is a very pretty, lifted Saint-Julien. Blood orange, mint, sweet red berry fruit, white pepper and rose petal all grace the 2020. Gloria is a wine of energy and understatement. The 2020 is especially charming.

Showing even better in the bottle than it did in the barrel, this is a stunning vintage for Gloria which kicks off with a gorgeous display of flowers, currants, espresso, tobacco and cedar. The wine is medium-bodied, with ample layers of fresh, vibrant red and black fruits, soft tannins and a savory edge to the elegant, supple finish. If you have not tasted Gloria for a while, this is a great place to start as it competes with many Classified Growths today. Drink from 2025-2045.

Aromatic and floral with violet, darker fruit, more on the Cabernet side, cassis, dark cherry with fine oak. Classic, elegant style with medium weight, dense young fruit, polished tannins and fine length.

Just about a perennial must-buy, the 2020 Château Gloria is another terrific vintage for this Saint-Julien château, which always seems to turn out a fabulous wine that sells for a great price. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as impressive aromatics of ripe blackcurrants, plums, camphor, smoked tobacco, and gravelly earth, it's a wine that blossoms with time in the glass. (I followed this bottle for multiple days.) Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has beautifully polished tannins, outstanding balance, and the more focused style of the vintage. Tasted twice with consistent notes.

Delicate bouquet, red raspberry jam, blueberry jelly and light tobacco. On the juicy palate, creamy texture, ripe extract richness, balanced verve and medium body. Focused finish with red-berry contours, rosewood and subtle peel notes. Shows a slight dip compared to the En Primeur.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: spicy, austere bouquet, blackberries, wood, smoke. Bourgeois, austere palate with good tannin, medium fruit, dark aromatics, pronounced acidity, spicy finish. Has room to improve.

Spicy, herbal bouquet with blackberries, wood, and smoke. A bourgeois, austere palate with good tannins, medium fruit, dark aromatics, marked acidity, and a spicy finish. Can still improve. 16/20 2026 - 2038

A brilliant wine from a great vintage in St Julien, rich, silky and utterly delicious. Espresso, cocoa, creamy blackberry and cassis, with juicy depths, spellbinding, concentrated and full of charm and character. 45% new oak. Remi di Constanzo technical director.

The 2020 Gloria has a deep garnet-purple color. It rocks up with ready-to-go notes of baked blackberries, warm cassis, and blueberry compote, plus hints of pencil lead, black olives, and clove oil. Medium-bodied, the palate is generous and refreshing, with velvety tannins and a provocative lift on the finish.

93-94

After a very charming and elegant 2019, the 2020 is a little denser and even more precise, with an impressively balanced profile. An admirable wine, all charm and noble tannins. Cellar with confidence.

The freshness of Cabernet Sauvignon, so welcome in vintages like 2020! Gloria lives up to tradition and stands out for its freshness. Carried by velvety tannins, Gloria plays on two fronts: approachability and ageing potential. The latter is ensured by the tension of the acidity. Another good mark… and another excellent Gloria!

Beautiful deep dark red color. Moderately intense nose with ripe fruit. A touch of ink. A hint of liveliness on the attack, dynamic; the wine then gains body and smoothness, finishing sappy, long, and spicy with very well-coated tannins. Good, flavorful length.

The nose is very inviting, with notes of milk chocolate and blueberry tart. True to the house style, Gloria 2020 delivers a very smooth, rich and seductive wine, with a superb finish marked by lovely sweetness. It offers both cellaring potential and youthful pleasure.

93–95. Barrel Sample. Under the same ownership as neighboring Château Saint-Pierre, this estate produced a fine, stylish wine that will develop well. The outlines are already there with spice and black currant fruits underling the tannic structure.