Château Saint-Pierre Saint-Julien 2016 - Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

This wine, owned by the Triaud family, has ranked among the finest of Saint-Julien in recent vintages, sometimes even surpassing them in quality, thanks to its very old vines—averaging 50 years—ideally situated in the heart of the village. The wine, which has always been dense, concentrated, and powerful, continues with each vintage to gain in immediate elegance, with better-integrated oak, and always retains the texture of old vines that places it on par with the great classified seconds, and even the first growths. It is one of the most perfect expressions of the appellation’s originality, at prices that remain accessible.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

This historic estate (17th century) has seen its share of hard times, having been completely broken up following several successions. Henri Martin began rebuilding it in 1982. The vineyard covers 17 hectares, planted on a beautiful gravel terroir resting on a layer of sandy clay. Henri Martin’s daughter, Françoise, and her husband Jean-Louis Triaud, who had been running the estate, handed it over to their son Jean in 2016.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The 2016 Saint-Pierre boasts a deep garnet-purple color. Aromas of Black Forest fruit burst from the glass, along with blackberry and blackcurrant compote, accompanied by notes of cigar, earth, and violet, and a hint of iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate features a firm structure of grainy tannins with fantastic energy and depth. It finishes with a lingering chocolate note.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

This classified growth has long been the least well-known in the Saint-Julien appellation. It was purchased in 1982 by Henri Martin, owner of the famous cru bourgeois Château Gloria, who restored its terroir to the condition it was in at the time of the classification. His daughter Françoise, her husband Jean-Louis Triaud—former president of the Girondins de Bordeaux—and their children, with the help of cellar master Rémi di Constanzo, have transformed the estate in recent years. Equipped with state-of-the-art winemaking facilities, it seems to be gaining, vintage after vintage, the subtle purity that it sometimes lacked in the past.

Vinous

About the wine:

The 2016 Saint-Pierre offers an intriguing bouquet of cooked black cherries, dark chocolate, coffee, and gamey notes, with the oak being more prominent than in its Saint-Julien counterparts. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with fine tannins, and the oak is more integrated here than on the nose. Nicely precise and very well-balanced, though there is a sensation of dryness on the finish. I think it will improve with bottle aging. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. 2024–2048

James Suckling

About the wine:

It’s fantastic, offering rich notes of fresh tobacco, blackcurrant, and hints of hazelnut and chocolate. Full-bodied, with firm yet refined tannins. One of the most structured St-Pierre wines in years. Best enjoyed starting in 2024.

Le Figaro vins

About the wine:

Intense red fruit, red plum, and small black berries. Fresh on the palate, with a hint of overripeness, a clean attack, full-bodied tannins, and a long finish.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

A garnet red with violet highlights. The bouquet of the 2016 Saint-Pierre is distinctly shaped by its terroir, and I detect refreshing fruity notes along with a mineral touch of graphite. I also pick up notes of coffee and chocolate. The attack is elegant, rich, and fruity. On the palate, the wine features fine-grained tannins that provide a solid foundation, while the rather supple structure lends freshness and supports the aromatic character. The finish is expressive and persistent, echoing the freshness found on the nose. A wine that will benefit from some cellaring. 2024–2041

Jean-Marc Quarin

About the wine:

Deep black in color with purple highlights, young and beautiful. The nose is intense, refined, fruity, and subtle, with notes of coffee beans that are both green and roasted. Original. Meticulously crafted from the first sip, it becomes smooth and full-bodied on the mid-palate, very caressing and juicy; the wine blends with the saliva and lingers on the palate. It possesses great power, tempered by the velvety softness of the flesh. It is superb and impossible to spit out.

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

Concentrated and full-bodied, with a hint of oak on the nose and palate. The wine offers depth, body, and rounded tannins, with a finish featuring notes of ripe stone fruit and coffee.