1989 Château Gloria- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (10/11/2014)
Decanted for a half hour before dinner with grass-fed sirloin. Must be right at its peak. Bright red currant nose with hints of licorice and spice and a touch of vanilla. Still in excellent shape. Very much enjoyed by my old friend Eli and by Amy. A good choice for tonight. Still I wouldn’t wait too much longer. Held up well for 3 hours. More expansive with a long sweet red fruit finish. Lovely. Just the right wine for the evening. (92 pts.)
Had an 85 the other day sitting at the beach during a bonfire and thought the same notes. Lovely claret in a perfect spot. Superb quality for the price.
Popped the '89 Gloria last night, also paired with steak. An excellent, mature Bordeaux, your note does it justice. I would only quibble about its life-expectancy, as I found nothing to suggest that it’s time is coming near. I may source more. I also score it the same.
Simply stated, an excellent representation of a mature, classicly-styled, affordable Bordeaux.