Chateau Saint-Pierre 2019
(Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France) - [TWI 96+] [JS 96] [JA 96] [VM 95] [DM 95] [JL 95] [JD 94] [WA 93]

About the Winery:
Château Saint-Pierre is the smallest Classified Growth in St Julien. It was ranked a Fourth Growth in 1855, but over the next century it was broken up into smaller and smaller parts. It was restored to its original holdings in 1982 by then-owner Henri Martin, proprietor of nearby Château Gloria. Today, his legacy lives on through his son-in-law Jean-Louis Triaud, and Jean-Louis’s own children.

About this Wine:
This 17-hectare estate is undergoing organic conversion and holds HVE-3 certification. Viticulture follows a bespoke mix of techniques picked up from organics and biodynamics, which Jean-Louis calls “our own system”.

There have been advances in the winery, too. Instead of pumping-over once in the morning and once in the afternoon, there are small pump-overs at hourly intervals, working around the clock. Amphorae are already a fixture of the cellar, and Jean-Louis hopes to reach a 50-50 balance between amphorae and the more traditional new French oak barriques.

Its 2019 grand vin is a Cabernet Sauvignon-led Bordeaux with concentrated fruit, savory complexity and substantial aging potential.

Vineyard & Blend:
The producer's 2019 sheet describes vines averaging 50 years old on Gunzian gravel over sandy-clay subsoils. The final blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot.

Winemaking:
Traditional fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The producer specifies 14–16 months in barrels for this wine, with 49% new barrels for 2019. Bottling was recorded in June 2021.

Tasting Profile & Food Pairings:
Blackcurrant and dark berry fruit mingle with violet, cedar, tobacco and mineral notes. Dense fruit, fine tannins and freshness give the wine depth and definition. Suggested pairings include roast lamb, grilled ribeye, venison, beef with mushrooms and aged hard cheeses. Decanting and further cellar time can help its youthful structure unfold.

Ratings & Reviews

96+ Points - The Wine Independent:
"A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, the 2019 Saint-Pierre is deep garnet-purple in color. It gallops out with notes of warm cassis, plum preserves, and candied violets, leading to suggestions of iron ore and cedar chest. The medium to full-bodied palate coats the mouth with expressive black fruits, framed by beautifully fine-grained tannins, finishing on a lingering floral note." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown (May 2023)

96 Points – James Suckling:
“Impressive depth from the 2019 vintage, with a precise feel to the blackberries, black chocolate, graphite and cigar box. Medium to full body, with packed, super fine-grained tannins and an extremely long, layered finish. One of the best from this estate. A blend of 79% cabernet sauvignon and 21% merlot. Drink or hold.” – Zekun Shuai (Aug 2025)

96 Points – Jane Anson's Inside Bordeaux:
“Violet-edged, with sculpted fruit and an enticing mix of precision and generosity, with classic St Julien balance. Great depth of fruit, crushed rocks, smoked earth, tobacco. Takes time to show itself, but there is sweet blackberry fruit here, and a purity of expression that has clear long-term potential. At this point they were working 15% organic, before switching to 100% the following year. 49% new oak. Harvest September 23 to October 4, Eric Boissenot consultant.”

95 Points – Vinous Media:
“The 2019 Saint-Pierre has a little more intensity and ambition than the Gloria, offering intense blackberry, boysenberry, cedar and pencil box aromas; hints of iodine come through with time. The palate is medium-bodied, dense and saline, with sappy black fruit, fine acidity and hints of black olive lending complexity on the persistent finish. A great Saint-Julien.” – Neal Martin (Dec 2021)

95 Points – Decanter Magazine:
"Expressive on the nose, so aromatic. The palate is so delicious - dense and structured, powerful and muscular but so well packaged. Uber glamour here. Real depth of flavour with lingering spice from the liquorice and sweet cedar, some bitter dark chocolate, floral touches and even soft savoury truffle aspects too. I love it, chewy almost balancing intensity with freshness and just such clarity that you know it's been well worked. Buy and hold on to." – Georgina Hindle (Jan 2022)

95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider:
“Blackberries, red pit fruits, flowers, tobacco leaf and red currants are the first thing you notice. The wine is soft, fresh and creamy on the palate, leaving you with a wealth of vibrant, lusciously textured, rich, sweet, red and black fruits in the finish. This is a top vintage for Saint Pierre. Drink from 2028-2050.” (Mar 2022)

94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck:
“I continue to love the wines from this château, and the 2019 Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) is no exception, revealing a dense purple hue as well as a great nose of ripe blackcurrants, green tobacco, cedar pencil, and chocolate. With rock-solid concentration, medium to full body, ripe yet building tannins, and the vintage’s pure, balanced character, give bottles 4-5 years and it will evolve nicely for 25+.” (Apr 2022)

93 Points – Wine Advocate:
“A fleshy, sensual wine, the 2019 Saint-Pierre bursts from the glass with aromas of cherries, blackberries, burning embers and subtle spices. Full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, it's seamless and polished, with a sweet core of fruit, melting tannins and succulent acids, concluding with a nicely defined finish. More overtly ripe than its stablemate Gloria, Saint-Pierre must be the most gourmand, immediate wine of Saint-Julien this year, and it's already drinking well on release.” – William Kelley (Apr 2022)

Additional Wine Advocate Commentary:
“Owned by Domaines Martin, Saint-Pierre is situated just to the south of the village of Saint-Julien, on rather homogenous gravel-clay soils mostly clustered around the château—in notable contrast to its stablemate, Gloria, which is dispersed throughout the appellation on a variety of different soil types. This is an inherently riper site than the ensemble that constitutes Gloria, and that shows in a 2019 that's sensual and creamy, with a richer, more polished profile than the more classically proportioned Gloria. Winemaking, however, follows the same principles: vinification in stainless steel tank with regular but small pump-overs and at a rather low temperature of around 25 degrees Celsius, with extraction adapted in function of the maturity and quality of fruit, followed by élevage in barriques that are chosen with increasing exigence. So, if the 2019 is rich and gourmand, it's also supple and judiciously extracted.” – William Kelley (Apr 2022)