March 20, 2024 - I popped and poured, but the bottle really needed 1-2 hours of air time to really open up and start singing.
February 2, 2024 - Nicely structured bordeaux. Muted, stewed fruit with some complexity of leather, tobacco, graphite and soil. I am struggling with the price point as I feel there are some nice 20-30 dollar Bordeauxs out there
December 25, 2023 - Deep blackcurrant, tempered with graphite. Singing right now.
September 3, 2023 - At first: 2014 was not that great in Bordeaux but this wine is. It represents a modern classic. Low alcohol level (13.5%), ripe but not a blockbuster. Drunk this wine over 3h.
Colour is intense, dark, with a slight maturity note.
Nose is excellent. Classic Cab. Cassis, very elegant, ripe with a hint of mocca-barique-note. But need 1h to open its beauty. Cool classic style Bordeaux.
Taste is excellent. A Cru Bourgeois at a level of a 5.Grand Cru. Mocca-Cassis, clear Cab driven. Elegant, tend to Pauillac style. Modern classic at its best. Do not hesitate to open this red and drink it over hours. I think this wine is on an excellent maturity level. It will stay at this level in the next years (but not decades).
August 1, 2023 - Décanté 20 minutes. Arômes de cuir, de baies rouges et noirs...mûres et groseilles, de tabac blond, ainsi que de notes florales...aromatique et très beau ! Les tannins sont poussiéreux mais bien intégrés. Texturé, ample, fruité...mûr, et des épices...soupçon salin. Équilibré et harmonieux. Longue finale sur des notes de chocolat noir. Boire d'ici 2025.
July 30, 2023 - Third bottle of six consumed. Decanted for about 90 minutes prior to consumption. Aromatically this struck me as leaner than prior bottles with more herbal notes, tobacco, and cedar. On the palate this also came across as lean (bordering on astringent) with a coarse tannic structure overpowering the black fruited profile. The acidity that exists keeps this from an unpleasant angularity, but the wine offers little in terms of elegance or excitement for me. Fair length on the finish but nothing memorable.
My overall experience in tasting over 30 months or so is this has stayed relatively consistent, but without a showy performance yet. With three bottles remaining, and so many incoming futures from better vintages, I don't see any value in hoping for a miraculous transformation. Does not hold up to better performing wines farther north in the Medoc in 2014. If you are looking to create cellar space, pull a cork and decide if it makes sense for you to save this for later. I do not plan to sit on the remaining bottles beyond the end of 2023.
After pulling a cork on a 2016 Chave Offerus St Joseph (a $28 wine) one night later, there was no comparison of how that performed (91) relative to the Gloria reinforcing my view the Gloria is not a longer term keeper for me.
June 29, 2023 - Remains dark; classic comforting nose, an attractive melange; supple, fully integrated, harmonious; finishes with aplomb. Very long, in its prime. Now & next five years.
June 11, 2023 - Excellent 5th Growth Bordeaux that is almost nine years old. Missing that distinctive Saint-Julien bouquet that stands out with higher ranked growths. Overall, very pleasing on the palette. This is an everyday drinker that at the time was a better value than similarly priced Napa Cabs.
May 29, 2023 - Decanted and drank over 2 days. The nose evolved over time with notes of berries, freshly cut greens, hints of oak, pencil shavings, and licorice. On the palate are green leafy vegetables, dark fruits, black pepper/spices, licorice and firm tannins. Tannins still present on 2nd day.
May 20, 2023 - Reticent for the first two hours after opening. Opens up to traditional blackcurrants, oak and tannins. This might hold for longer, curious to see if there is an upside.