Saint Pierre 1996 – Vineut

Reseña profesional

Château Saint-Pierre in Saint-Julien is a Left Bank Bordeaux estate classed as a Fourth Growth in the 1855 classification of the Médoc and Graves. The wine of the estate is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon in-line with the cuvées of other Left Bank producers.

The estate is named for Baron de Saint-Pierre, who owned the château in the late 18th Century, and built the reputation that would earn it the status of a classed growth. Archives in the region, however, date the establishment of the estate even earlier as a farm property under the name Serançon, with vineyards planted at least by 1693.

During the 19th Century, the estate was divided in two, becoming Château Saint-Pierre-Bontemps and Château Saint-Pierre-Sevaistre. New ownership brought the two back together as Château Saint-Pierre, but several key parcels of the vineyards had been sold. One of the buyers was producer Henri Martin, who incorporated the bought vine parcels into his own Saint-Julien estate, Château Gloria. Martin eventually bought the entire Saint-Pierre estate in 1982, and it remains one of several Bordeaux wineries owned by Domaines Henri Martin.

The modern vineyard is 17 hectares (42 acres) planted 75 percent to Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 percent to Merlot and 10 percent to Cabernet Franc. Once harvested, the grapes are actually vinified in the chai of Château Gloria. The wine spends 14-16 months in barrels depending on the vintage, of which half is commonly new French oak.