Chateau Gloria

Château Gloria is an estate in Saint-Julien, in the Médoc, born of a personal endeavor: that of Henri Martin, born in 1903 in Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, the son of a cooper and descendant of a family tied to wine for almost three hundred years. Saint-Julien is the smallest of the major appellations in the Médoc, with 910 hectares of vineyard, and the richest in 1855 classified growths; Henri Martin was convinced there was still room for another great wine.

At the end of the 1930s he acquired his first hectare of vines and in 1942 registered the name Château Gloria. He set himself a single rule: to buy only vineyards originating from the crus classés of Saint-Julien and Pauillac, often small parcels distant from the main properties. Parcel by parcel he brought together almost 50 hectares, and Gloria became the largest unclassified estate in Saint-Julien; with a touch of irony, Henri Martin would raise a glass to “the most classified estate in Saint-Julien”.

Today Château Gloria is part of the Domaines Henri Martin, together with Château Saint-Pierre, 4e Grand Cru Classé, and Château Bel Air Gloria, for a total of just over 100 hectares. The family spirit is carried on by his daughter Françoise and his son-in-law Jean-Louis Triaud, together with grandchildren Vanessa and Jean Triaud.

The wine is born from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, traditionally vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and aged for 14 months in barriques, 40% of which are renewed each year.

Château Gloria is the fruit of the passion and boldness of a man who left his mark on the history of Saint-Julien.