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Chateau Saint-Pierre
If there is one man whose name we should associate with Chateau Saint-Pierre, as well as with nearby Chateau Gloria, it is Henri Martin. Gloria owes its very existence to Martin, although his true desire was to own and run a classed growth estate, and this he achieved with his purchase of Chateau Saint-Pierre at the sprightly age of 78. But like all classed growth properties, the history of Saint-Pierre stretches back much further than this.
The origins of the estate lie at least in the 17th Century, perhaps much earlier than this, when documents refer to it as Serançon, and it was in the ownership of the De Cheverry family. It did not acquire the name Saint-Pierre until the latter years of the 18th Century, when it was acquired by the Baron de Saint-Pierre. There was viticulture here at that time, and the wines are reputed to have been worthwhile although not up to the standard of the Léoville estate or other grander properties around St Julien. Upon the Baron's death in 1796 the estate was divided between his two daughters, Mme Dubouilh and Mme Bontemps-Dubarry, although it was still run as a single entity. The division was made final in 1832 when Mme Dubouilh died; thus her half was bequeathed to her daughters, whereas the other remained with the Bontemps-Dubarry family. Despite this, the estate was classified as a single entity in the 1855 classification which preceded the Exposition Universelle de Paris, when it was ranked as a quatrième cru. Subsequent to the classification, the Dubouilh portion was sold off, most purchased by the Bontemps-Dubarry family, specifically Lieutenant-Colonel Bontemps-Dubarry, and as a consequence the estate was renamed Saint-Pierre-Bontemps-Dubarry. There were, however, several small plots purchased by others, with one destined to become what is today Chateau du Glana, and another, amounting to about one quarter of the original vineyard, coming to Bontemps-Dubarry's daughter, who married Oscar de Leutken, owner of La Tour-Carnet.
Lieutenant-Colonel Bontemps-Dubarry,
who owned the majority of the original estate, bequeathed his vineyards to his four children, although one
daughter, the wife of local négociant Georges Kappelhoff (head of Journou Frères),
bought out her siblings in order to keep the estate together. Meanwhile, that
portion in the ownership of Oscar de Leutken was sold to Léon Sevaistre, a
politician, who produced a wine of some repute, and did much work to maintain
the vineyard in the face of Phylloxera. These two portions were finally reunited
as one in 1923 when a Dutch firm Van den Bussche purchased the Sevaistre
vineyard, having acquired a large part of the Bontemps-Dubarry vineyard the
preceding year. The Bontemps-Dubarry family retained only the chateau and a few hectares of
vines. The newly reunited estate took on the name Saint-Pierre-Sevaistre, and
remained in the control of the Van de Bussche family and Paul Castelain, who was
wedded to one of their daughters. But in 1982 they sold the vineyard to near
neighbour Henri Martin, proprietor of Chateau Gloria, almost across the road.
Martin sold off some buildings and a few small plots of vineyard, the purchaser
in one case being Jean-Eugene Borie of
Ducru-Beaucaillou, this being the beginning of Lalande-Borie.
Some, adjacent to Gruaud-Larose, was bought by
the Cordiers. Most, however, remained with Martin, who restored the chateau;
this is now home to his daughter Françoise and husband Jean-Louis Triaud, who
run the estate today. Under the tenure of Martin, and then of Françoise and
Jean-Louis, the wines of this small and under-appreciated
St Julien cru
have demonstrated a tangible improvement.
The vineyards of Chateau Saint-Pierre lie just outside the town of Beychevelle, near the boundary of the St Julien appellation, surrounded by those of Beychevelle, Branaire-Ducru and Gruaud-Larose. There are plenty of old vines here which helps explain the deep colour, full body and creamy texture to be found in these wines. All told there are about 17 hectares, planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with a tiny quantity of Petit Verdot. The fruit is harvested by hand, and is taken to the chai at Gloria, where it is macerated in enamel vats for two to four weeks and then fermented in a mix of oak foudres and stainless steel with temperature control. It then goes into oak, 40 to 50% new each year. The wine is fined and filtered before bottling. The grand vin is Chateau St Pierre (about 5000 cases per annum), and what is rejected is sold in bulk to local merchants.
As I have already pointed out this is a small and often overlooked property, and is in fact the smallest in St Julien. This is despite many of the wines from the last two or three decades being of good quality. As a consequence, bottles of Saint-Pierre could frequently be found languishing on shelves and merchants' lists at very attractive prices, and they thus made for good value drinking. With the rise in popularity of Bordeaux as a whole, and the increasing demand for the wines including Saint-Pierre, this no longer seems to be the case. My experience of the wines includes numerous vintages from the time of Henri Martin and subsequently Jean-Louis Triaud. I admit they rarely provide the breathtaking excitement that can be found with some other properties of the commune, although I thought the 1995 very satisfying and one of the more interesting wines from Saint-Pierre in recent years. The 2000 may also have more promise than my conservative score may suggest, although it did not show the pent-up promise that many other wines of this vintage have demonstrated. But we should not throw out the baby with the bathwater. There are many chateau where the shine can be dulled by comparison with the likes of Las-Cases or Ducru. Taken independently, these are good wines. I have some 1995 in the cellar, and will be able to see whether or not this vintage, at least, lives up to its early promise. (4/9/00, updated 21/2/07)
Contact details:
Address: Chateau Saint-Pierre, 33250 St-Julien-Beychevelle
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 59 08 18
Fax +33 (0) 5 56 59 16 18
Chateau Saint-Pierre - Tasting Notes
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Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 2007:
A lovely presence of open fruit, expressive and pretty. Showing a lot of
smoky and toasty oak at present, but that is quite normal at this stage.
Appealing and supple, a very firm core of tannins, moderate fruit and flesh.
Firmly composed, classic style, good acidity and bright fruit character. It has
the potential to drink well. From my
2007 Bordeaux
en primeur assessment. 14.5-15.5+/20 (April 2008)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 2001: Perfumed dark fruit on the nose.
Plenty of tannin coating the mouth here. Rounded, with good acidity. Has
potential, and should develop some good character with time. Needs eight to ten
years. 15.5+/20 (May 2004)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 2000: This wine gives off a little
perfume on the nose but, unsurprisingly at this stage in its evolution, it is
quite well closed down. The palate is full of texture, being ripe, supple,
bordering on voluptuous. Correct acidity, so nicely balanced. It gives nothing
away right now, but this has very good potential. 16+/20 (May 2004)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 1999: Beautiful perfumed violets on the
nose. Full, sweet and textured on the palate. Moderate acidity. There are some
firm tannins on the palate, although I think this will drink relatively early.
Needs three to four years. 15+/20 (May 2004)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 1995:
An intense purple hue, with absolutely no fading at the rim. Incredibly
intense ground coffee on the nose, with more toffee oak. The palate has
a similarly intense flavour profile matching that of the nose. Packed
with tannin and correct acidity. Obviously a young wine. 17+/20 (September 2000)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 1990:
Good fruity nose. Similarly, sweet fruit on the palate. A lovely
structure, with less aggressive tannins, correct acidity and a medium
body. Drinking very nicely now, but will hold its own for years yet. 17/20 (September 2000)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 1989: There is plenty of dense, rich,
mineral fruit on the nose here. The palate carries a beautiful layer of fruit,
which is rich and warm, draped over wonderful structure. Fine tannins and great
balance are this wines strong points. I feel, however, that it lacks any great
style or complexity. There's a tannic twist to the finish. From a
Bordeaux 1989 blind
horizontal tasting. 17/20 (January 2002)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 1989:
Red-purple with a hint of tawny at the rim. Initially quite closed on
the nose, opening out to reveal some toffee oak characteristics. Quite
soft on the palate, with good acidity, obvious tannins, but a bit
backward with regard to flavour profile. A tannic finish. 17/20 (September 2000)
Chateau Saint-Pierre
(St-Julien) 1986: A dark, purple black. Massive fruit on the nose.
Tannic palate, but stacked to the ceiling with rich fruit. A rich,
sumptuous, lovely wine. Another great effort from this little-publicised
(in the UK at least) chateau. From a
Bordeaux 1986 blind
horizontal tasting. 17+/20 (February 2001)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 1986:
Subtle toffee oak on the nose. Tannic palate, persisting right through
to the finish. Good fruit though. This wine has a long life ahead of it
yet. 16.5+/20 (September 2000)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 1985:
A deep and rich mahogany red. A rather vegetal nose, but with some good
smoky cigar nuances. The palate is soft and well rounded, packed with
juicy fruit, with smooth, silky tannins. Correct acidity, more cigar box
and peppery oak on the endpalate, leading into a clean although tannic
finish. Good length. 16/20 (September 2000)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 1982: Tasted blind. Not quite an opaque wine, but
certainly deeply coloured. A surprise on the nose, which offers aromas of coffee
and mocha alongside the mature fruit. A metallic edge. Full, tannic, austere
palate. Lovely extract and a good texture. A better showing than my last tasting
four years ago. From a
Bordeaux 1982 blind
horizontal tasting. 17/20 (May 2004)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 1982:
A mahogany, tawny appearance. A closed nose, but with good fruit on the
palate. Obviously a good wine, but not showing as well as the others
tonight. 17/20 (September 2000)
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien) 1981:
Also a rich, although slightly less dense colour. More smoky cigar aromas, much
less vegetal. On the palate again nicely integrated silky tannins. Lots of
fruit, leading into a soft, less tannic finish. Lovely length. 16.5/20 (September 2000)
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