Château Saint-Pierre 2020

Château Saint-Pierre is a renowned winery located in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region in France. The estate has a long history dating back to 1693 when the vineyard was first planted. It was classified as a fourth growth in the famous 1855 Bordeaux Classification.

During its early days, it went by the name of Serançon and was owned by the De Cheverry family.  Eventually the estate was purchased by Baron Saint Pierre in 1767 and the property’s name was changed to Château Saint-Pierre.  When the Baron passed away, he divided the property into two separate vineyards for two daughters. One vineyard was named Château Saint Pierre Bontemps and the other was named Château Saint Pierre Sevaistre.  The estate was classified as one property, however, earning the title of Fourth Growth during the 1855 Classification.   Not much later, the two properties were subjected to a series of bad vineyard management decisions and they fell into disrepair before being acquired by a Dutch company – the Van den Bussche Company.  The properties were reunited once more and wines from the estate were warmly received by the Belgian market.

In 1982 Henri Martin purchased the estate, and the estate is still in the hands of the Martin family today through inheritance and marriage.  At present, Jean-Louis Triaud runs operations over at Château Saint-Pierre.  He also oversees Château Gloria and some other family properties.  He is also the owner of the Girondins de Bordeaux – a professional football team in Bordeaux.  

The vineyards of Château Saint-Pierre cover 17 hectares and are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc grape varieties. The vineyards are situated on well-drained gravelly soils, which are ideal for producing high-quality wines. The grapes are handpicked and carefully selected before fermentation.

In terms of operations, Château Saint-Pierre was one of the first estates in the Médoc to embrace the usage of satellite imagery to help them identify which parcels to pick.  This 17-hectare vineyard is the smallest classified estate in the Saint Julien appellation.  One can find plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc planted throughout.  The vineyard is divided into four main blocks with parcels spread all over the appellation, and the bulk of vines are not too far from Château Ducru Beaucaillou and Château Beycheville.  The grapes are harvested by hand and transported to Château Gloria for vinification.  The majority of the wines are rich, concentrated, and full-bodied.  Sometimes they are extremely muscular in particular vintages, with a brawny and decadent power that seduces fans of intense and robust reds.  The wines produced at Château Saint-Pierre are known for their elegance, complexity, and aging potential. They are typically full-bodied with rich, dark fruit flavors and a firm structure. The wine is aged in French oak barrels for up to 18 months before being bottled.

"I continue to absolutely love what this estate puts in the bottle, and it remains an incredible value given its quality. The 2020 Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) reveals a deeper ruby/purple hue to go with gorgeous aromatics of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, gravelly earth, and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shows the more elegant, pure, precision style of the vintage, has perfectly integrated background oak, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This brilliant Saint Julien will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and have 30+years of overall longevity. Bravo." - Jeb Dunnuck, (03/30/2023), Ratings: 96

"The 2020 Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) is loaded with scents of blackberry jam, dried herbs, graphite, incense, espresso and licorice. This powerful, tannic Saint-Julien is going to need years to soften, but it is incredibly impressive in the early going. From barrel, the 2020 was quite unctuous, but today it has grown into a wine that marries opulence with classicism in grand style. the intensity of the Cabernet Sauvignon really comes through." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (03/30/2023), Ratings: 95

"Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 Saint-Pierre bursts with baked blackberries, stewed plums and cassis, followed by hints of dried mint, chocolate box and tapenade with a waft of pencil lead. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled with impressive freshness and ripe, fine-grained tannins supporting the energetic black fruits, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. The blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, aging for around 14 months in French oak barrels, 50% new. The alcohol is 13.3%." - Lisa Perotti-Brown, May 2021: Week 3 The Wine Advocate, (05/20/2021), Ratings: 94-96

"This is excellent, really the most gorgeous balance of power, with dark blueberry juicy fruits and lots of liquorice. Excellent balance and a seductive overall frame. Great stuff - the tannins are pretty fierce though, needs time, will reward ageing." - Jane Anson, Decanter, Best Saint-Julién Wines Tasted En Primeur, (05/25/2021), Ratings: 94