Ch. Gloria recommenation.

An overly generous friend stopped by yesterday to deliver her Christmas gift to us: a 7 pound prime rib, first cut (choice, not prime, but I didn't chide her). It's in the fridge right now, uncovered, rubbed with salt, until Thursday's feast. It'll be simply roasted off, served with a roast red pear soup, potatoes cooked some banal way I haven't decided yet, something green, and maybe Yorkshire pudding.

I have precious few wines left, but a meal of this magnitude (for us) calls for one of them to meet the corkscrew. My wife adores Ch. Gloria for sentimental reasons - it was the first wine I served her after we began dating, and the first wine north of Sutter Home White Zin that she'd ever tasted. It was love (of me too...I think) at first sip. We've had more of them in our wine fridge over the years than any other
label.

Now I have two Glorias left; a '95 and an '06. They're both showing well in bottle. The '06 is markedly lighter, while the '95 is almost inky dark still. Both have appropriate sediment and no appreciable ullage. I know St. Julien did pretty well in both years.

So...which would you open if you were me? My wife's approval rating for me may hinge on this choice!

Ah, who am I kidding. She'll flip over either one. I'm just curious myself what everyone here would pick.

Thanks!

I too have a sentimental soft spot for Gloria- the '82 circa 1991 was the wine that really got me interested in wine as something beyond "a tasty beverage with alcohol."

As prices rose in vintages 2000-2008 I bought and tasted less and less incoming Bordeaux. If I tasted 2006, I don't remember. I did think that Gloria (always precocious) got a tad more modern/forward starting 2000 or so. I remember the 1995 as being a bit less structured than the 1996, but a nice wine. With beef I'd probably aim for the older yet bigger '95, and save the '06 for a roast chicken or something.

have been fan of Ch Gloria for > 40 years, going back to the 1967 vintage....Macy's in NYC was closing their liquor store and had this on sale, buddy of mine and I bought several cases for something like $4/bottle as I recall..If memory serves, the proprietor owned at least one other property in St Julien and was also the mayor

I too have a sentimental soft spot for Gloria- the '82 circa 1991 was the wine that really got me interested in wine as something beyond "a tasty beverage with alcohol."

As prices rose in vintages 2000-2008 I bought and tasted less and less incoming Bordeaux. If I tasted 2006, I don't remember. I did think that Gloria (always precocious) got a tad more modern/forward starting 2000 or so. I remember the 1995 as being a bit less structured than the 1996, but a nice wine. With beef I'd probably aim for the older yet bigger '95, and save the '06 for a roast chicken or something.

Hey, thanks for that, Dale. Cool that you and my wife have a similar wine backstory! I appreciate the thoughts on which to open, also. Sounds good

have been fan of Ch Gloria for > 40 years, going back to the 1967 vintage....Macy's in NYC was closing their liquor store and had this on sale, buddy of mine and I bought several cases for something like $4/bottle as I recall..If memory serves, the proprietor owned at least one other property in St Julien and was also the mayor

Wow - Macy's had a liquor store?

WOW - Gloria for $4 a bottle??!

Good old days indeed. Whew.

Thanks for that, Jon!

Happy Holidays, Tom.. Back in the Pleocine era, when I rode a Pterodactyl to work, Macy's Herald Square not only had a liquor store but also a ski shop..Bought some serious stuff at great prices when both the ski shop and the liquor store had their going out of business sales.
At my age, a lot of the good days were indeed old...However, they also made for a reasonably well stocked cellar at affordable prices..which I am currently in the process of drinking down..Am still working on my 1982,83, 85 to 1990 Bordeaux..alas no remaining bottles of Gloria

Happy Holidays, Tom.. Back in the Pleocine era, when I rode a Pterodactyl to work, Macy's Herald Square not only had a liquor store but also a ski shop..Bought some serious stuff at great prices when both the ski shop and the liquor store had their going out of business sales.
At my age, a lot of the good days were indeed old...However, they also made for a reasonably well stocked cellar at affordable prices..which I am currently in the process of drinking down..Am still working on my 1982,83, 85 to 1990 Bordeaux..alas no remaining bottles of Gloria

Happy holidays right back atcha, John! Your tale of bargain shopping in the era of Peter Stuyvesant really warmed my heart this season