As I predicted from barrel, this stunning effort is a wine to buy by the case. Its opaque ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of graphite, barbecue smoke, blackberries and black currants. The full-bodied, textured 2008 Saint-Pierre reveals a skyscraper-like mouthfeel along with tremendous viscosity and unctuosity. One of the richest and potentially longest-lived 2008s, it is a fabulous sleeper of the vintage. Drink it over the next 20+ years.

Serious medium ruby. Very ripe aromas of cassis, minerals and licorice. Ripe and thick on entry, then concentrated but rather backward in the mid-palate, with a firm mineral spine and sound acids giving lift and shape to the fully ripe dark fruit and licorice flavors. This builds impressively on the back end, finishing with serious but ripe tannins that reach the front teeth. I'd lay this down for six or seven years.

(an 83/17 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, from 45-year-old vines; 50% new oak; 38 hl/ha) Deep, bright ruby-red. Dense, youthfully closed nose of cassis, spicy violet and graphite is quite Pauillac-like-as opposed to Gloria's (from the same owner) more typical Saint-Julien aromas. Chewy, brooding and deep, with concentrated cassis, menthol and mineral flavors framed by a powerful spine of acids and tannins. This will need time. Another potentially outstanding wine for technical director Remi di Costanzo, who spent 12 years with Bruno Prats at Cos d'Estournel before coming to Saint-Pierre. As Saint-Pierre is somewhat underrated by most critics, it can be a very good buy.