CHÂTEAU SAINT PIERRE
2017 4ème Cru Classé Saint Julien
The 2017 Saint-Pierre came from a sample taken from a new barrel although the final blend will include half that amount. It was cropped at 46hl/ha from 18 September until around 3 October in a second wave of picking. It has quite an introverted bouquet with broody dark berry fruit, tobacco and graphite, almost Pauillac-like in style. It probably just needs to evolve a little more cohesion. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy, slightly abrasive tannin but a fine line of acidity. There is firmness and density to this Saint-Pierre, weighty in the mouth but I find that it is missing some finesse towards the finish. Like the Gloria, it may well improve during its barrel maturation. A second sample encountered at the end of my tastings was even better and showed immense brightness and energy. Drinking range: 2022 - 2045 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2018)
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Mid crimson. Dark fruit and a little smoky/charry on the nose along with some sweetness of oak. Dark and savoury on the palate, the tannins fine and already very supple, as if extraction had been light. Just slightly hard on the finish. Drinking range: 2024 - 2032 Rating: 16 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2018)
The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Saint-Pierre is a little reticent, giving glimpses at warm cassis, baked plums, tobacco and pencil shavings notes with a touch of forest floor. Medium-bodied with a muscular core of sustained black fruit, it has a grainy frame and plenty of freshness, finishing with impressive length. The blend is currently 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. Rating: 91-93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2018)
They have done a great job this year of not dipping far below the quality of the last few vintages. The only indications really are in the texture and the more savoury-edged register of the fruit. The tannins are a touch more pulled in on the finish, closing things off just slightly too early. Overall this is a clear success, with punch, personality, juice, fine tannic hold, and notes of bilberry fruits, charcoal and cedar smoke. Very good quality. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2018)
I was able to taste the 2017 Château Saint-Pierre on two separate occasions and this is an undeniably strong effort from this estate as well as for the vintage. A current rough blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc aging in 50% new oak, which accounts for 60% of the production, this inky purple beauty offers up loads of crème de cassis, black raspberry, tobacco leaf, and graphite. While this cuvée can be a touch rustic, it’s all elegance and purity in 2017 and has medium to full-bodied richness, perfectly integrated acidity and ripe, sweet tannin. It’s a beautiful, concentrated wine that’s going to need short-term cellaring and keep for two decades or more. Rating: 93-95 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Apr 2018)
Focused, showing red and black currant preserve flavors driving along, with a racy graphite streak. Fresh acidity keeps it all moving through the anise-tinged finish. Should be delightful when released. Rating: 91-94 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2018)
This estate has been on a roll in recent years, and that trend seems to have continued on into the 2017 vintage. This has a confident if slightly dusty thrust of fruit on the nose, a dark and smoky character, with some crushed-cherry scents. The palate shows a charming medium-bodied style, carrying the same dusty red cherry and red plum fruits suggested on the nose, here tightly wrapped in peppery tannins and a fresh belt of acidity. It feels quite complete, quite correct, certainly very fresh, with a polished yet bold and substantial effort. There is some nice poise here, and certainly lots of substantial grip in the finish. This could come really good given time. Rating: 92-94 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2018)
Château Saint Pierre
St Julien Quatrième cru 1855 At 17ha Château Saint Pierre is the smallest classed growth estate in St Julien. The name is derived from the Baron de Saint-Pierre who owned the estate at the tail end of the 18th Century. He left Saint-Pierre to his two daughters who, after running the estate together for a while, divided Saint-Pierre in two in 1832. The Dutch company, Van den Bussche bought both bits of Saint-Pierre in 1923 and re-united the estate. In 1982, Henri Martin (the man who assembled the Château Gloria from bits of vineyard purchased from various St Julien estates, including Saint-Pierre) bought the estate and he, and his daughter and son-in law Françoise and Jean-Louis Triaudand, have done much to raise the profile of this oft over-looked château. The vineyards are planted to 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with the wines being made at Château Gloria. Although renewed reputation has pushed the price up a little in recent years, Saint-Pierre still represents quite good value for some nicely made darkly coloured St Julien.