2019 Gloria, St-Julien

So good, this is a vibrant mix of young and exuberant, luxurious, seriously creamy in texture, crushed stone, baked earth, smoked caramel, damson, sweet blackberry and damson fruits. This is pure pleasure, hard to resist. 45% new oak, 40hl/ha yield, harvest September 23 to October 4. Remi di Constanzo technical director.

We knew Gloria was great in 2019, but it doesn't hurt that Neal Martin more-than confirmed it with his 96-point mark in a blind Southwold tasting, just a point shy of Léoville Barton and Léoville Las Cases. That’s pretty serious company for a wine that has long been one of Saint-Julien’s great overachievers. It also comes from one of the Left Bank’s great modern vintages, and the quality is obvious from the start. Graphite, blackberry, cedar, and dark currant lead into a palate with real depth and purity, but what stands out most is the structure. The tannins are fine, polished, and beautifully integrated, with enough grip to give the wine shape without ever making it feel hard. There’s terrific freshness through the middle, a sense of lift that keeps the black fruit moving, and a long, composed finish with a subtle saline edge. This has plenty to offer now with a long decant, but it still feels like a wine built for the cellar. The balance of fruit, acidity, tannin, and length is what gives it that more serious feel, and why I think it will develop so well over the years to come. For the quality, vintage, and pedigree, Gloria remains one of the more compelling Left Bank wines you can buy at this level.