Magnum of Château Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien 2012

This fourth growth Saint-Julien property dates back to the 17th century, although many of its vineyard plots were dispersed as it passed through various owners over the years. This was until 1982 when Henri Martin – the respected joint manager of first growth Latour between 1962 and 1987 and owner of Château Gloria – managed to reunite the vineyards as they existed at the time of the 1855 Classification.

Saint-Pierre is currently owned and run by Henri’s daughter Françoise and son in law Jean-Louise Triaud (assisted by their children Vanessa and Jean) who have been making very fine wines every year since 2005, so much so that this has become a property to watch and follow.

The relatively small estate has 17 hectares of vines, with an impressive average age of 50 years, which are situated in the centre of the Beychevelle commune on Günz gravel over sandy clay.

The grapes are hand picked before undergoing fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats. The blend is generally 75% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot and 10% cabernet franc, which spends 12 months ageing in oak barrels, 50% of them new. The wines have elegance and fine, many-faceted flavour, always having the edge over the enjoyable but simpler Gloria in the same stable, and can age for between 10 and 25 years.