2009 Château Saint-Pierre

Château Saint-Pierre is a Fourth Growth Bordeaux in the St.-Julien appellation of Bordeaux. The 42-acre estate dates to the 17th century, and in the 19th century it was for a while divided into two estates. In 1982 Henri Martin, then owner of nearby Château Gloria, bought Saint-Pierre, restored the château and made improvements. His daughter and son-in-law, Francoise and Jean-Louis Triaud, are the current owners. The vineyards are planted to 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. About 5,000 cases are produced annually and there is no second wine. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Château Saint-Pierre “one of the most underestimated classified growths of Bordeaux.”

Saint-Julien is the smallest of the four main Médoc appellations with 2,175 acres of vineyards. It is just south of Pauillac on the left bank of the Gironde, and although it has no First Growth châteaux, its 11 Classified Growth estates are widely admired. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that winemaking in Saint-Julien from all classifications “is consistently both distinctive and brilliant.” He adds it is Médoc’s “most underrated commune.” The best-known estates are Léoville Las Cases, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Léoville Poyferré, Léoville Barton and Gruaud Larose, and most of those have riverside estates. The soil in this appellation is gravelly with clay. Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape grown, and it is blended with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and sometimes small amounts of Petit Verdot.