Chateau Gloria 2005 Saint Julien

Critic Score: 90 Robert Parker – Wine Advocate

90 Wine Searcher (Aggregate)

When to drink: 2010 to 2030

Château Gloria is a wine estate in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Médoc wine region, just north of Bordeaux city, on the so-called "Left Bank" of the Gironde Estuary. The estate did not feature in the official Bordeaux Classification of 1855 as it was formed nearly 100 years later through the acquisition of numerous plots from classed growths including Beychevelle, Léoville-Barton and Gruaud-Larose.

The estate is regularly praised for its consistent performance and widely regarded by critics as being worthy of cru classé status. Its vineyards cover roughly 50 hectares (124 acres) across several plots including in the Beychevelle region (and estate), in the north on the border with Pauillac, and in the west of the appellation.

The soils are primarily composed of gravel over clay and sand, and plantings are 65 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 percent Merlot, and 5 percent each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Château Gloria harvests grapes by hand, and fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. The wine is then typically aged for 14 months in casks, with around 40 percent new oak.

The estate is reasonably young by Bordeaux standards, and was established in 1942 when Henri Martin bought a plot of land and added to it over the years. As well as the châteaux already mentioned, Martin also bought sections from (among others) châteaux Talbot, Léoville Poyferré, and Léoville Barton.

Martin was leading figure in the Bordeaux wine trade in the decades following the Second World War. Post-war, he was influential in resurrecting the convivial wine trade association, the Commanderie du Bontemps du Médoc, and by the mid-1950s, he was the head of the Bordeaux wine trade body, the CIVB (Conseil Interprofessional des vins de Bordeaux).

The estate is now run by Henri's daughter Françoise, alongside her husband Jean-Louis Triaud and their children, Vanessa and Jean (and their spouses). Gloria is part of the Domaines Henri Martin portfolio, including Château Saint-Pierre.

Château Gloria produces a second wine, Esprit de Gloria. The Domaines Henri Martin also includes Château Bel Air Gloria, an Haut-Médoc property based in Cussac, just south of the Saint-Julien appellation.