Château Saint-Pierre Saint-Julien - Grand Cru Classé 2018

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Full-bodied and vibrant, this is a rich and surprising wine.

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 wine:

With its elegant garnet color and violet highlights, this 2018 vintage still bears the mark of its aging in its bouquet, where woody notes rival the intensity of the red fruit. Delicate on the palate at first, it then reveals a powerful structure, well-integrated into a dense, full-bodied, and fruity texture. This Saint-Julien, with its strong character, shows solid aging potential.

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:

Composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot, the 2018 Saint-Pierre bursts from the glass with a glorious bouquet of kirsch, blackcurrant pastilles, black raspberries, and cedarwood, along with notes of red roses, pencil shavings, and a spice box. The medium- to full-bodied palate coats the mouth with velvety tannins and beautifully woven freshness, supporting generous layers of black and red fruit, leading to a long, fragrant finish. It will take a good four years for the oak to integrate and the fruit to really come into its own, after which the wine should drink well for another 20 years.

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

About the wine:

This vintage has made significant strides in terms of aging, and the 2018 vintage is a prime example. It retains its great finesse and elegant tannins while gaining in purity and definition. A truly fine achievement.

About the estate:

This classified growth has long been the least well-known in the Saint-Julien vineyards. 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.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

This robust wine displays layers of tannins along with the warm, rich black fruit typical of the vintage. The blackcurrant aromas and tannins combine to create a dense wine with aging potential. Best enjoyed starting in 2026.

James Suckling

About the wine:

Aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, dried earth, coffee, and chocolatey orange, along with a hint of crushed stone. It is medium-bodied with firm, tight tannins. Fresh, with lingering citrus zest and dark chocolate. Fine texture. Try from 2024.