Château Talbot 2016

The grand vin of Château Talbot hosts the best qualities of Saint Julien terroir – a generous bouquet, stability, and ageability. 

Those who love the wines from this fantastic appellation will no doubt have a strong affinity for the offerings of Château Talbot, as many wine connoisseurs consider this Fourth Growth estate to be one of Saint Julien’s most impressive properties.  Château Talbot has also been run by the same family for over a century. The well-respected négociant, the Cordier family , oversee the daily operations at Château Talbot and will stop at nothing to produce some of the finest wines within their appellation.  Désiré Cordier put it best when he said, “… To be an estate owner means, in a certain way, being in love with it.”  

Legend has it the estate received its namesake from a British soldier named Connétable Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury, who was defeated at the battle of Castillon in 1453.  The estate was classified as a Fourth Growth in 1855 and owned by the Marquis de Aux until it was purchased in 1918 by Désiré Cordier – the man who also oversaw the Second Growth estate, Gruaud Larose.  The property has stayed within the Cordier family ever since and is currently run by Nancy Bignon Cordier, her husband Jean-Paul and their children.  Château Talbot is a 107-hectare property, with 102 hectares planted with vines.  The vineyards are planted with 67 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 4.5 % Petit Verdot and 1.5% Cabernet Franc on a single block in the richly graveled soils.   The property has very good neighbors – including Château Léoville Las Cases, Château Léoville Barton, and Château Léoville Poyferré. 

Every year during harvest time, the grapes are hand selected by a team of 120 people.  The selection is rigorous, and only the ripest berries make their way into the grand vin.  After their harvest, they make their way into the property’s state-of-the-art vat room.  The vat room itself is an architectural marvel, with giant concrete columns emulating tree branches supporting the ceiling.  The wines are vinified before beginning the blending process.  The blending process is a team effort, where Nancy, Jean-Paul, and their consultants are Stéphane Derenoncourt and Eric Boissenot.  Derenoncourt hosts an impressive resume, having worked for properties such as Domaine de Chevalier, Château Pavie Macquin, and even Napa properties like the Rubicon Estate Winery.  Château Talbot also produces the only white wine in the Saint Julien appellation, Le Caillou Blanc.  The wine is made from Sauvignon Blanc and some Sémillon.  It is aged in a Burgundian style on its lees and was one of the first white wines to be made in the Médoc.

The wines of Château Talbot have a level of versatility that is associated with wines from Saint Julien.  They can age well but can also be enjoyed younger after hours of decanting.  The tannins are silky and luscious and the wine races with beautiful aromas of tobacco and licorice.  Yet despite the complexity, it is always a charming wine. 

"Jean-Michel Laporte (previously at La Conseillante) arrived as technical director in 2018, just as this wine was being bottled, and it's not a bad vintage to usher him in to the world of Château Talbot. I drank this at friend's house a few months ago, and it had been open 24 hours by the time we were pouring it out, which just might be the ideal time, as the tannins were soft and open, and everything felt plush and welcoming. It has the balance of the appellation, the precision that Talbot has increasingly showcased over the past few years, and a sappy feel to the tannins. 50% new oak. Stéphane Derenoncourt as consultant, with Eric Boissenot." - Jane Anson, (10/20/2022), Ratings: 94

"The 2016 Talbot is aromatically quite expressive, but less available on the palate, where it is quite closed down. Time in the glass brings out a host of sweet tobacco, smoke, leather, cedar, mint, licorice and red-toned fruit. In two tastings, Talbot gave the impression it is going to need at least a few years to fully come into its own. Even so there is plenty to look forward to once the tannins start to melt away a bit. Consultants Stéphane Derenoncourt and Julien Lavenu have done quite a bit to raise the bar here, but I get a sense more is possible. Tasted two times." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (01/21/2019), Ratings: 94, Drink: 2026-2056

"There’s a strong team in place at Talbot, with Jean-Michel Laporte (formerly of La Conseillante) as technical director and Stéphane Derenoncourt as consultant. This has a perfumed elegance on the nose, with spicy blackcurrant aromas. Suave and very concentrated, it shows ample ripe tannins and a discreet oaky structure. Its length should guarantee a good future too." - Stephen Brook, Decanter, (06/01/2020), Ratings: 93

"Brought up in 50% new oak, the 2016 Château Talbot is a winner and certainly over-delivers. Powerful notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, lead pencil, and leafy herbs all give way to a silky, seamless Saint-Julien that has remarkable purity of fruit and building, fine tannins. It’s the texture as well as the purity that set this apart, and readers looking for a great value should purchase a case of this beauty." - Jeb Dunnuck, (03/01/2019), Ratings: 93