Chateau Saint Pierre Saint-Julien

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.

The elegant château building looks rather classic, but it belies a surprisingly modern approach behind the scenes. Infrared photography of the vineyard allows the team to carefully plan out harvesting schedules to the level of the individual plant. 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.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Located in the AOC Saint-Julien on the left bank of Bordeaux, Chateau Saint-Pierre covers 17 hectares of vines. The plantings are dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), supplemented by Merlot (15%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). Chateau Saint-Pierre, along with the rest of the Henri Martin estates, have earned both ISO 140001 and HVE 3 certifications, and its vineyards are cultivated sustainably with organic and bio-control products.

The mild spring weather favoured the vineyard’s early budburst. The relatively warm weather during the month of April enabled the vines to develop rapidly, followed by a more variable month of May during which a rapid and even flowering phase was recorded. The cool temperatures and rainfall in July and August delayed the vines, thus veraison was slow. This lack of sunlight and heat was compensated for by glorious weather in September and October. At sunset, green harvesting and leaf-stripping were carried out to ensure the sufficient ventilation of the vineyard, the optimal ripeness of the grapes and an even harvest. Due to this exceptional weather, the start of the harvest was delayed several times in order to allow the grapes to reach optimal ripeness. The harvested grapes reveal a superb balance and a beautiful richness, guaranteeing a great quality as well as a promising ageing potential.

The Saint-Julien Chateau Saint-Pierre 2014 has been vatted for 18 to 23 days. The aging took place in barrels with a proportion of 49% new wood.

The 2014 Saint-Pierre 2014 was one of the surprises of the Saint Julien appellation, a wine that has blossomed throughout its elevage and in bottle to the point where it has overtaken its stablemate, the 2014 Chateau Gloria. It has a more floral bouquet: vibrant and energetic with fine mineralite. The palate is medium-bodied, a silver bead of acidity, energetic and intense with tobacco and graphite on the finish. For me, the Saint-Pierre has the upper hand this year and it should give two decade's worth of drinking pleasure.