The 2016 Chateau Saint-Pierre is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc picked between 29 September and 3 October for the Merlot and 5-17 October for the Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is matured is 50% new oak. The Cabernet comes through strongly on the nose as you would expect: quite intense black fruit, graphite and just a touch of dried herbs. There is lovely definition and focus on display. The palate is well balanced with grainy tannin, a crisp line of acidity, classic in style in keeping with the style of the vintage with very fine mineralité and tension towards the sprightly finish. It is one of the most Pauillac-like Château Saint-Pierres that I have tasted, a very well crafted, almost understated but sophisticated wine that will age for 20 to 30 years. This is a fantastic Saint Julien that may well rest at the top of my banded score.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 Points Wine Advocate
WINE PROFILE
Tasting Notes
The 2016 Chateau Saint-Pierre is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc picked between 29 September and 3 October for the Merlot and 5-17 October for the Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is matured is 50% new oak. The Cabernet comes through strongly on the nose as you would expect: quite intense black fruit, graphite and just a touch of dried herbs. There is lovely definition and focus on display. The palate is well balanced with grainy tannin, a crisp line of acidity, classic in style in keeping with the style of the vintage with very fine mineralité and tension towards the sprightly finish. It is one of the most Pauillac-like Château Saint-Pierres that I have tasted, a very well crafted, almost understated but sophisticated wine that will age for 20 to 30 years. This is a fantastic Saint Julien that may well rest at the top of my banded score. Barrel Sample: 94-96 Points Wine Advocate
Ratings
Ripe and fruity while also having just the right amount of structure, this is a concentrated wine. It has depth and fine, elegant acidity, and is likely to be ready from 2026. Barrel Sample: 92–94 Points Wine Enthusiast
Awards
Structured and measured with grippy tannins, this is a subtle yet extremely successful wine. Fully ripe black fruits are joined by gentle spices that slowly curl up through the palate. These guys have been delivering such a fantastic run of vintages and continue to do so here - for me yet another St-Julien that is clearly better than the 2015. 95 Points Decanter
Production Notes
Blend: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc
Other Notes
Under the Empire, Château Saint-Pierre was one of the most important domaines of Saint-Julien. Today, with an average vine age of 50 years, the vineyard now covers 17 hectares, planted with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Enjoying a fantastic terroir of gravelly soil, below which lie sand and clay, the vines, in a double Guyot training system, produce an average of 45 hectoliters per hectare using a planting density of 10,000 vines per hectare. Jean-Louis Triaud has great ambitions and conducts a rigorous selection in order to achieve his goals of great wine. "The annual production of Saint-Pierre is about 90 tons, which, after strict selection, becomes only 50 tons, which in wine terms is the equivalent of 5,000 cases for the Grand Vin. My desire is to make exceptional wines worthy of the best Crus in the area. It is a challenge, but the potential is there and we provide the necessary means."
