Chateau du Glana St. Julien Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau du Glana St. Julien, with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all the best Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau du Glana History, Overview

Chateau du Glana dates back to 1870 when the Saint Julien estate was created. Prior to 1870, some of the vineyards were once a part of the neighboring Chateau Saint-Pierre. However, the modern era for the estate is more recent. That starts in 1961 when it was purchased by Gabriel Meffre. At the time of the purchase, Chateau du Glana was in a sad state of dilapidation.

Only three hectares of vines remained planted. Everything needed a complete renovation, from the vineyards to the chateau, the cellars, and all the wine-making facilities. The renovations were completed in 1968. Chateau du Glana is not the only vineyard controlled by the owners, the Meffre family also owns Chateau Lalande in St. Julien as well as Chateau Bellegrave in Pauillac.

With the start of the 21st century, the Meffre family made a new commitment to improve the quality and image of their Bordeaux wine. Prior to 1999, the top wine was sold under the name of Chateau du Glana Vieilles Vignes. That was shortened to just Chateau du Glana in 2000.

In 2003, Chateau du Glana once again began a complete renovation, bringing the estate up to the standards of modern times in its wine-making and vineyard management techniques. The renovation they completed in 2003, included much replanting in the vineyard as well as a complete modernization of the vat rooms, grape reception area, and barrel cellars.

Today, Chateau du Glana remains one of the last remaining, non-classified growths in the appellation. Chateau du Glana once again modernized its cellars and wine-making facilities in 2015. Chateau du Glana remains a family-owned and managed estate.

Jean-Paul Meffre, the son of Gabriel Meffre is in charge of the property. His children, sons, Julien Meffre and Ludovic Meffre are also involved with managing the estate.

Chateau du Glana Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 59 hectare Left Bank vineyard of Chateau du Glana is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. This marked a change in the vineyard for the estate, as 5% of the vineyard was previously planted with Cabernet Franc. Those vines were removed and replaced with Merlot.

The large vineyard is well-placed inland, not far from Chateau Talbot and Chateau Lagrange. In fact, Chateau du Glana purchased several hectares of vines from Chateau Lagrange. Most of the vineyard is in one large single block of vines, with the exception of one parcel of vines, which is located close to the chateau.

On average, the vines are 25 years of age. The terroir is gravel-based soils, typical of what you will find in that part of the Medoc. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 7,000 vines per hectare. Picking is conducted using a combination of machine harvesting and manual picking.

To produce the wine of Chateau du Glana, the wine is vinified in large, traditional cement vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tank. The wines are aged in 40% new, French oak barrels for 12 months. The production is on average close to 24,,000 cases of wine per vintage. There is a second wine, Pavillon du Glana.

The best vintages of Chateau Du Glana are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2009, 2005 and 2000.

When to Drink Chateau du Glana, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau du Glana can be enjoyed on the young side with decanting. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1 hour or so. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau du Glana is usually better with at least 5-7 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Du Glana offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 7-12 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau du Glana with the Best Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau du Glana is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau du Glana is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, stewed, and grilled dishes. du Glana is also good when served with Asian dishes, hearty seafood, or richly textured fish like tuna, mushrooms, pasta, and cheese.

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