Domaines Martin Chateau Gloria 2019

Domaines Martin Château Gloria 2019 is an exceptionally plush, expressive, and beautifully structured red Bordeaux blend that demonstrates the outstanding quality and precision of the Saint-Julien appellation in this stellar vintage. Exhibiting a deep garnet-purple hue in the glass, it opens with a compelling, highly delineated nose featuring layered aromas of blackcurrant jelly, ripe plum preserves, and chocolate-covered cherries, seamlessly interwoven with savory notes of cedar pencil, tobacco leaf, crushed rocks, and a hint of warm woodsmoke. On the palate, this medium-to full-bodied red delivers a rich, concentrated core of succulent black and blue fruits balanced by an energetic undercurrent of fresh, lively acidity. Supported by velvety, fine-grained tannins and a complex mineral spine, it undergoes 14 months of aging in 40% new French oak barrels, culminating in a long, opulent, and savory finish that echoes with persistent notes of graphite, tobacco, and dark spices.

Food Pairing: Pairs wonderfully with roasted beef tenderloin, grilled lamb chops with rosemary, pan-seared duck confit, hearty wild mushroom risotto, and aged Comté or Gruyère cheeses.

95 Points - James Suckling

This is a plush wine that keeps excellent freshness. Subtle cocoa powder and chili chocolate to the ripe currants, berries and graphite. The tannins are quite polished on its full-bodied palate. Structured and quite long. 55% cabernet sauvignon, 34% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot. Drinkable now, but it will become better in three to four more years. From a vertical tasting at the winery.

94 Points - Wine Spectator

Rock-solid, with a mouthwatering roasted apple wood and mesquite frame around a well-layered core of black currant, blackberry and plum fruit flavors. The finish features dots of tobacco and tar that add range, but the real driver is a long bolt of iron, which gives this a throwback feel. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2038.

93 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2019 Gloria has turned out very well, delivering aromas of blackcurrants, plums, burning embers and a deft framing of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and nicely concentrated, with a vibrant core of ripe and fleshy fruit, lively acids and powdery structuring tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully firm finish, this shows considerable promise.