Château Gloria

Saint-Julien's famous 'unclassified classed growth.' Beginning in the 1940s, Henri Martin — a Saint-Julien mayor and towering figure of the Médoc — patiently assembled an estate entirely from small parcels bought off neighbouring 1855 classed growths. Because Gloria was created from scratch after 1855, it could never be classified, even though its vineyards are made of classed-growth land. The wine's consistency and value made it one of Bordeaux's great over-performers. The estate passed to Martin's son-in-law Jean-Louis Triaud and is now run by the Triaud family (Domaines Henri Martin), which also owns the neighbouring 4ème Cru Château Saint-Pierre.

Around 50 hectares under vine in Saint-Julien, dispersed across parcels once belonging to classed growths, on the commune's classic deep gravel over clay and limestone. Blends are Cabernet Sauvignon-led with a substantial Merlot component plus Petit Verdot and a little Cabernet Franc, typically aged around 14 months in barrel with a portion of new oak. The wine is made at the family's cellars alongside Château Saint-Pierre.