Château Talbot 2018

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. 

"A great St-Julien that reflects the estate more than the vintage - a definite compliment to the winemaking team as well as those 50-year-old (on average) vines that are less swayed by climatic changes. This is full of blackberry and bilberry, with a touch of tobacco on the nose. There's good sweetness to the fruit, and although it's not quite as punchy, deep or concentrated as some, this means that it has a beautifully balanced appellation signature. 45hl/ha yield. 60% new oak." - Jane Anson, (04/25/2019), Ratings: 94, Drink: 2027-2040 

"Released in an all-black bottle celebrating 100 years in the Cordier family, the 2018 Château Talbot is a beautiful, classic Saint-Julien that leads with its pure cassis and currant fruit as well as notes of tobacco leaf, violets, chocolate, damp earth, and new leather. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied, elegant 2018 with remarkable purity of fruit, a lively spine of acidity, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. It doesn't have quite the level of concentration I thought from barrel, but it's nevertheless a beautiful wine that shines for its finesse and purity, and if it picks up weight in bottle, it will certainly merit an even higher rating. Give bottles 3-5 years and enjoy over the following 15-20+. The blend is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, brought up in 50% new French oak." - Jeb Dunnuck, (03/16/2021), Ratings: 93+, Drink: 2024-2044

"The 2018 Talbot is quite the powerhouse. Inky and deep, the 2018 possesses striking textural richness from start to finish. Inky dark fruit, licorice, cloves, new leather, menthol, violet and chocolate fill out the layers effortlessly in this decidedly flashy Saint-Julien. This is a terrific effort for Technical Director Jean-Michel Laporte in his first vintage at Talbot. It will be interesting to see where the château goes in future years. This is certainly an opulent, rich style." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (03/31/2021), Ratings: 93