2018 Château Talbot
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Tasting notes
Vibrant plum colour, warm and welcoming aromatics, cloves and turmeric spice, this stretches out through the palate, showing a luscious, satiny texture that reflects the warmth of the vintage, and the slightly higher alcohols than usual (rare at Talbot, that tends to show lower alcohols than its neighbours, like Lafite in Pauillac). Black chocolate, espresso, fennel, cassis and gunsmoke, generous and a little atypical. Special anniversary bottle to celebrate 100 years under the Bignon-Cordier family. 60% new oak for ageing as of this vintage, and Jean-Michel Laporte's first as director.
Critic scores
James Suckling
The Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Special dark coloured, engraved, centenary bottle to mark the 100 years of Cordier ownership. Deep purple-black hue. Big and rich with a crème de cassis nuance. Plenty of mid-palate volume and gras . Big tannic frame so powerful in style. More modern in concept than the other vintages. Clearly for long cellaring. (JL)
Tasted blind. Blackish crimson. Lifted, exciting nose. Dense and dramatic. Lots of pace here with fruit and tannin nicely balanced for a long drinking window. Neat and long even if relatively restrained. (JR)
Not only is the 2018 Talbot the first vintage in which Jean-Michel Laporte was fully in charge, but it comes in a uniquely designed bottle to celebrate the centennial of ownership by the Cordier family. Fortunately, its contents make the grade. This Talbot is well defined and focused on the nose, offering blackberry, bilberry and cedar scents and an attractive floral component that becomes more evident with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and cohesive, with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and good depth. Layers of blackberry and cranberry fruit intertwine with cedar and touches of graphite on the finish, completing an excellent Talbot that may improve further with bottle age.
About the producer
Quality has not necessarily always lived up to this property’s Fourth Growth status, however there have been significant improvements in recent years, with a sustainable focus in the vineyard, and new winery and cellar.