Château Talbot Saint-Julien (Grand Cru Classé) 2012

From the plateau of Saint-Julien, one can spot Château Talbot in the distance in the midst of an ocean of vines, parks and tall trees.The estate has a rich history. Its name originates with Connétable Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, governor of Guyenne as well as being a famous English military commander, who was defeated at the battle of Castillon in 1453. In 1855, at the time of the Médoc and Graves growth classifications ordered by Emperor Napoleon III, Château Talbot was promoted as a fourth classified growth of Saint-Julien. For several decades it belonged to the Marquis of Aux and was the purchased in 1918 by Désiré Cordier.

4th Médoc Grand Cru Classé, Château Talbot comprises 110 hectares of a single vineyard in the heart of the Saint-Julien commune, an outstanding appellation as it counts no fewer than 11 classified growths.

Ideally situated on the banks of the Gironde estuary on hilltops of alluvial gravel carried by the Dordogne River from the Massif Central and from the Pyrenees by the Garonne, Château Talbot’s terroir is exceptional.

The totality of the 110 hectares of the Château Talbot vineyard surrounds the estate house and stretches north, all the way to the border with the Pauillac appellation. Planted on a terroir of fine Gunzian gravels with a core of fossil-rich limestone, which form draining hilltops, one finds a large majority of red vines (105 hectares) and a small acreage of whites (5 hectares).

The impeccable management of the vineyard is one of the most irreproachable in the Medoc. The wines, supervised by Nancy Bignon-Cordier, with the valuable advice of enologist Eric Boissenot and consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt, are consistently rich while remaining extremely elegant.

The smooth taste and their silky tannins make it possible to drink them young as well as after prolonged aging. With time they develop a delicate, complex aromatic bouquet with tones of cedar and Havana tobacco.

Château Talbot is certified High Environmental Value Level 3.

Undeniably, Talbot is one of the most famous Médoc wines. Having been in the same family for more than a century, this estate with more than one hundred hectares of vines produces wine that is recognized for the consistent quality of its vintages.

‘For many, Talbot embodies the ideal Saint Julien, a generous bouquet, extremely stable and dependable during aging,’ emphasize Bettane and Desseauve in their Guide to French Wines.

It’s true, Talbot is a champion of longevity; even young Talbot is pleasant and rounded, always characterised by silky, mild and very civilised tannins.

Talbot possesses an expansive character. It’s never withdrawn into itself and has the courtesy of being in a good mood every day. It’s a racy wine, with complex marks of Havana tobacco and licorice, classically delicious without ever the slightest hint of austerity.

The grapes were picked at Talbot from the 1st until the 18th October and the Grand Vin is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the same assemblage as the previous vintage. The nose is nicely focused with blackberry and cedar aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a pleasant citric edge of acidity.

Awards:

90 Jeff Leve

93 Wine Enthusiast

92 Gilbert & Gaillard

94 Tim Atkin

VIVINO 4.1