Château Gloria 1982 (75cl)

A Saint-Julien red from 1982, with over 40 years in bottle. Saint-Julien is usually the more restrained corner of the left bank, built around Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. At this age the wine is well past its fruit-forward phase and firmly in old-wine territory. Bottles this old vary a great deal from one to the next. Very old Saint-Julien typically leans savoury rather than fruity, with dried fruit, leather, mushroom and tea leaf, and tannins that have largely melted away.