Saint-Julien AOC · Unclassified (parcels from 1855 classed growths; estate created after 1855)
Château Gloria 2020
Château Gloria · 2020 · Left Bank Bordeaux blend (Cabernet-dominant)
$44.99 · K&L Wines · ordered 2025-08-24 · sku 1714220
Same joint verdict as the 2022: great, would drink any day, near-repurchase, price-impressed.
entries reconstructed retroactively, 2026-07-19
A dense-but-vibrant Saint-Julien: creamy cassis and dark plum lifted by rose petal and mint, underpinned by graphite, gravelly earth, and a salty tang, with polished, mouth-coating tannins over a fresh, persistent finish.
Descriptors
click a term to see why it attaches to this wine
cassis
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Saint-Julien AOCclassic for Cabernet Sauvignonblackberry
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Saint-Julien AOCclassic for Cabernet Sauvignonclassic for Merlotclassic for Petit Verdotplum
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Saint-Julien AOCclassic for Merlotblack cherry
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Cabernet Sauvignonclassic for Merlotblueberry
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Petit Verdotred currant
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Cabernet Francdried rose
present in this bottle’s notesmint
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Cabernet Sauvignoneucalyptus
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Cabernet Sauvignongraphite
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Saint-Julien AOCclassic for Cabernet Sauvignoncrushed gravel
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Saint-Julien AOCclassic for Cabernet Francsaline
present in this bottle’s notesiron
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Merlotmocha
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Cabernet Sauvignondark chocolate
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Cabernet Sauvignonclassic for Merlotvanilla
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Cabernet Sauvignonclassic for Merlotlicorice
present in this bottle’s notestoast
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Saint-Julien AOCclassic for Cabernet Sauvignontobacco
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Saint-Julien AOCclassic for Cabernet Sauvignonclassic for Merlotclassic for Cabernet Franccigar box
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Saint-Julien AOCclassic for Cabernet SauvignonThe vintage
2020 opened with a mild, wet spring that brought mildew pressure, then turned very hot and dry through summer, with welcome rain in mid-August; harvest in late September came in cooler and damper. Deep-rooted vines on gravel weathered the drought to give concentrated, deeply coloured fruit. The vintage was picked under the constraints of the covid pandemic.
A dense yet fresh year: 2020 Saint-Juliens are concentrated and structured but carry a lifted, precise, energetic core of acidity. This Gloria shows the vintage's density in its texture while staying silky, harmonious, and refreshing.
Vineyard
Deep gravel over clay and limestone — classic Saint-Julien Left Bank terroir.
Cabernet Sauvignon-led planting with a large Merlot share, plus a notable slice of Petit Verdot and a little Cabernet Franc.
Parcels dispersed across Saint-Julien, originally carved out of neighbouring classed-growth vineyards.
In the cellar & winery
Standard Left Bank vinification at the Domaines Henri Martin cellars.
14 months in barrel, 40% new oak.
From Domaines Henri Martin.
Composition
- Cabernet Sauvignon 50%
- Merlot 34%
- Petit Verdot 11%
- Cabernet Franc 5%
vintage-specific blend · abv 13.5%