2022 Gloria (St-Julien)

The 2022 Gloria, bottled in July 2024, has a tightly wound nose that is not as immediate as other Saint-Juliens alumni, though it gains harmony and purity with time. Pencil box and light sous-bois scents percolate through. This has wonderful precision. The palate is medium-bodied with a grainy texture. It`s expressive in terms of Merlot (35% of the blend) with a splash of soy on the finish. This Gloria has much to offer but needs three or four more orbits around the sun in bottle. 94 points

The 2022 Gloria is bold, punchy and super-expressive. In this vintage, Gloria has a bit more mid-palate richness and overall heft than most years. Red fruit, blood orange, mocha, spice, new leather and cedar build as this showy Saint-Julien opens in the glass. 93 points

A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Gloria bursts with aromas of cherries, sweet berries, petals and spices, framed by a deft touch of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a succulent, enveloping core of fruit and supple tannins, it`s a gourmand but nicely balanced Saint-Julien that will offer a broad drinking window. 91-93 points

Intense with a bright plum colour, spicy, dark fruits, coffee bean and cocoa, this is almost heading towards overdone but it pulls back, leans into the vintatge and is very much on point with estate signature. It has texture and depth, a little overly concentrated through the mid palate but shows the restraint that comes with the pummic stone texture of St Julien tannins. One to watch over ageing. In biodynamic conversion. 92 points