I think Jane Anson put it best, calling Gloria “St-Julien’s secret weapon” in a 20-year vertical where this 2020 took top billing. If I had any bones to pick, it’s that it was our secret weapon first! Either way, it hardly matters—as long as Gloria keeps delivering incredible value like this. For an all-too-reasonable price, you get a serious, compelling, and delicious St-Julien with typicité, character, and the structure to age effortlessly for decades. The density of the 2020 vintage shows here in its concentrated texture, deep red-to-black fruits, and a finish lined with fine, mouth-coating tannins wrapped around a fresh core of acidity. Yet for all that density, it’s immediately rewarding and delicious. I remember it being a star at our UGC tasting a few years ago—a standout even among a roomful of show-stealers. This is one I’ll be thrilled to have in my cellar for years to come, and at this price, it’s all too easy to recommend you do the same. For a top-notch Left Bank gem that hits every mark, 2020 Gloria is a can’t-miss buy.

Composed of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc that aged 14 months in 40% new oak. Incredible pricing aside, the 2020 Gloria was a grin-inducing standout during a recent staff tasting with its soft, silky, and seductive mouthfeel. The flavors are fresh and vibrant—cassis, red-fleshed plum, black cherries, rose petals, with a hint of just-picked herbs bolstered by black tea tannins. A subtle sanguine note on its delightfully lengthy finish makes me glad to be alive—wines like this make my heart skip a beat—a glorious Gloria!