Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine ( oc, vin de Bordèu, french: vin de Bordeaux) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the ...
from the Saint-Julien
appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...
. The
winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, ...
is located in the central part of France’s
Bordeaux wine region
The wine regions of Bordeaux are a large number of wine growing areas, differing widely in size and sometimes overlapping, which lie within the overarching wine region of Bordeaux, centred on the city of Bordeaux and covering the whole area of the ...
Saint-Julien-Beychevelle
Saint-Julien-Beychevelle (; oc-gsc, Sent Julian Vaisherèla) is a commune on the left bank of the Garonne estuary in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
Wine
The village lies northwest of Bordeau ...
.
Regarded as a well-made wine with the best characteristics of Saint-Julien, it is estimated by many to be on a par with the classed growths.
The château also produces a
second wine
Second wine or second label ( French: ''Second vin'') is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from '' cuvee'' not selected for use in the ''Grand vin'' or first label. In some cases a third wine or e ...
from its younger vines named Château Peymartin.
History
A relatively young estate, Château Gloria was founded and assembled by Monsieur
Henri Martin Henri Martin may refer to:
*Henri Martin (historian) (1810–1883), French historian
*Henri-Jean Guillaume Martin (1860–1943), French impressionist painter
*Henri Martin (French politician) (1927–2015), French communist leader
*Henri Martin (Am ...
who established the reputation of Gloria within the space of a generation. With the first acquisitions of of vines in 1942, and purchase of the '' chai'' of
Château Saint-Pierre
Château Saint-Pierre is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten ''Quatrièmes Crus Classés'' (Fourth Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classi ...
Lagrange
Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi LagrangiaDuhart-Milon, making up its present size.
The estate was included in the proposal by INAO to revise the 1855 classification, and subsequently became listed in the private classification of
Alexis Lichine
Alexis Lichine (December 3, 1913 – June 1, 1989) was a Russian wine writer and entrepreneur. He played a key role in promoting varietal labelling of wine, was a masterful salesman of wine, and owned Château Prieuré-Lichine and a share of Chât ...
.
The current proprietor of the estate is Martin's son-in-law,
Jean-Louis Triaud
Jean-Louis Triaud (born 22 November 1949 in Bordeaux, France) is the ex president of FC Girondins de Bordeaux. He was first elected in 1996, and upon completion of the term, reelected in 2002.
The son-in-law of the late Henri Martin, winemaker a ...
.
Production
The
vineyard
A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...
area extends , with the
grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...
variety distribution of 65%
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...
, 25%
Merlot
Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...
, 5%
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being us ...
and 5%
Petit verdot
Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen it adds tannin, c ...
.
An average of 20,000 cases of the ''Grand vin'' are produced annually. Of the second wine Chateau Peymartin there are produced approximately 4,000 cases.