Chateau Gloria, Saint-Julien, France 2015

Chateau Gloria can be enjoyed young, with decanting. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1-2 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Gloria is usually better with at least 5-8 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Gloria offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 8-17 years of age after the vintage.

Chateau Gloria is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Gloria is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.

Licorice, black raspberries and earth create the perfume that leads to a finish laced with freshness, cherries and thyme. This medium-bodied, finesse-styled wine was produced from a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 6% Cabernet Franc. The wine will be aged in 45% new, French oak barrels for about 14 months. This one should drink well early. If this develops well, and it should, this will be a contender for the best vintage Gloria has ever produced.