2023 Chateau Talbot (Futures) 6pk OWC

The estate

4th Classified Growth of Saint-Julien, the Château Talbot is one of the iconic references of the Médoc. Acquired by Désiré Cordier in 1918, Château Talbot is now managed by Nancy Bignon-Cordier and her husband, Jean-Paul Bignon.

The vineyard

The Château Talbot 2023 is a Saint-Julien wine from a vineyard that extends over 94.3 hectares in one piece in the heart of the appellation. These vines, averaging 42 years old, enjoy an ideal location as they are situated on the edge of the Gironde estuary and rest on Médoc gravel mounds.

Vinification and ageing

The grapes are hand-picked and undergo successive sorting (manual and optical) before vinification in wooden vats. The ageing lasts 15 months in barrels, 60% of which are new.

Blend

This Château Talbot 2023 is the result of a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (77%), Merlot (20%) and Petit Verdot (3%).

94-95pts James Suckling 

92-94pts Wine Advocate 

Offering up aromas of dark berries, baking chocolate, plums, espresso roast and crushed mint, the 2023 Talbot is medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with a rich but lively core of fruit, powdery tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Harvested over the course of fully four weeks, it's a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot that attained 13% alc

93pts Decanter 

As with many Médoc wines this vintage, Château Talbot shows off the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in its blend in recent memory, reflected in cool cassis and blueberry fruit, liquorice and cigar box aromas, leading to some plum and blackberry mid palate richness. Indeed, the palate evinces much depth, juiciness and salinity: all very good things that bode well for future complexity after barrel ageing (60% new oak) and five to ten years cellaring. But we are not in 2019 or 2020, as the finish does show some tannic austerity. All things considered, a very successful Talbot, and potential for a higher score in bottle.

91-93pts Vinous 

The 2023 Talbot contains the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon to date at 77%. It was picked from September 13th to October 6th at 54hL/ha according to winemaker Jean-Michel Laporte. Matured in 60% new oak, this has a fragrant bouquet that, like one or two fellow Saint-Julien wines, discretely unfolds in the glass. Quite precise with blackberry, cedar and light pencil box scents, there is a Pauillac like tincture here. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled, grainy tannins. Its overtly classic in style, albeit with more mid-weight depth compared to some vintages of Talbot. Displaying fine cohesion and sapidity, this fans out on the finish, with a deft touch of white pepper livening things up. This is a very promising Talbot, and I may actually prefer it to the previous vintage. - Neal Martin