2016 Chateau Gloria Saint-Julien 750 ml

It’s no secret that we fall hard for good Bordeaux around here, but when we gathered to taste the 2016 vintage of Château Gloria from Saint-Julien, we knew we had something extra special in our glasses. The wine’s intense aromas of spicy black fruit, tobacco, and dried herbs alongside its mouthwateringly fresh palate won us over immediately. That was just the beginning.

As we drained our glasses, we smiled knowing that the wine should cost much more, especially given its pedigree. Fortunately for us—and you—Château Gloria did not exist when the famous 1855 Bordeaux Classification took place. A couple of its current neighbors did, and they were granted Second Growth status. Now, their wines are priced accordingly.

While Gloria is in the same quality category as its Second Growth peers, its sub-$100 price most certainly is not. Critic Antonio Galloni, who has given the wine a 96-point score, backs us up: “In 2016 Gloria is a real head-turner. It should be a fabulous value as well. There is not much else to say.” We think “head-turner” doesn’t go far enough, considering the way the 2016 charmed us with its gorgeous combination of blackcurrant and savory spice.

Crafted from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Château Gloria is everything you daydream about in a great Bordeaux, coming from a flawless vintage and dazzling with notes of blackberry, tobacco, menthol, licorice and dried rose petal.

The price of the wine alone is worthy of a celebration–perhaps even a standing ovation–and we mainly have founder Henri Martin to thank. About 90 years after the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, Martin, a cooper by trade, began parceling together several acres of vineyards into what is now the 120-acre Gloria. His first acquisition set the tone—15 acres from Second Growth Château Beychevelle.—and he later added vineyards near another Second Growth, Château Pichon Lalande. These acquisitions firmly established Gloria’s cachet, which now comes without the Second Growth price.

The wine is not shy in showing off its pedigree, and we are more than okay with that. Gloria owes its elegance and floral notes to its acres by Beychevelle near the Gironde estuary, where cool temperatures and the famous gravelly soils for which the top Bordeaux châteaux lend an edge. The acres acquired from Pichon Lalande give the wine its weight and density. They are literally across the street from Beychevelle, where it’s a bit warmer and the soil is deeper. Gloria quite simply combines the best of all worlds in Bordeaux.

Savvy Bordeaux lovers need look no further than the 2016, which beautifully captures the character of an exceptional Bordeaux vintage at a price that makes it perfect for frequent indulging and cellaring.