Château Talbot

33250 Saint-Julien-Beychevelle

Tél. : +33 (0)5 56 73 21 50

 

talbot@chateau-talbot.com

www.chateau-talbot.com

Château Talbot, great wine from Saint-Julien

All about the château Talbot, fourth Great Classified Growth in 1855 on the appellation Saint-Julien

 

Talbot, the spirit of Commander Talbot.

 

Located on the plateau of the appellation Saint-Julien, a few kilometers from the Gironde estuary, Château Talbot cultivates discretion in its shady park that protects a house as harmonious and elegant as the wines produced in this very renowned vintage. From Commander Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury to Nancy Bignon-Cordier, and the influence of the merchant Désiré Cordier who left his mark on Talbot, the fourth Grand Cru Classé in 1855 is a discreet star but counting in the family of very great wines of Bordeaux that the most experienced lovers who continue to praise it. 

 

When Talbot was English.

 

The story takes us to the battle of Castillon and the defeat of the English, sounding the death knell for English domination throughout Aquitaine. Talbot is named ad vitam aeternam after its famous commander, Constable John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury and Governor of Guyenne. He is also known to have taken part in the Battle of Castillon in 1453, after which he was forced to lay down his arms. Aquitaine came back under the French flag.

A few centuries later, the vineyard was included in the 1855 imperial classification, which ranked it as the 4th Cru Classé in recognition of the consistency of its wines, the prices charged and the quality of its terroir, already highly regarded in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Subsequently, after decades of ownership by the Marquis d'Aux de Lescout, the estate entered a new era at the beginning of the 20th century, when a merchant and mayor of Saint-Julien, Désiré Cordier, acquired it in 1918. Cordier is a name that resonates on the Place de Bordeaux due to its trading activity, the importance it occupies in this economic sector and the fact that it owns other wine estates.

 

A Classified Growth in top form with the Cordiers.

 

The following generations continued to write the history of this family saga, while further developing the estate. First his son Georges, then his grandson Jean Cordier took over the reins of this highly esteemed estate. With the Cordiers, Château Talbot gained even more notoriety, and eventually became as important as the other crus classés, of which there are many (there are no fewer than 11 crus classés de 1855 in the appellation).

When Jean Cordier died in 1993, he left his daughters, Lorraine and Nancy Cordier, a cru in perfect condition, exemplary for the wines it produces and whose name is famous the world over. For more than 15 years, the Cordier daughters led the estate to new heights, working together and “four-handed” to continue their father's work and philosophy. A cru classé (just like any other winery or business) never rests, because it's always waiting to happen. It was therefore obvious that Château Talbot's proactive approach and dynamic approach were essential to the long-term future of Talbot. To meet these objectives, heavy investment is planned over several decades to ensure that the vineyard is at its best and that its technical equipment is perfect.

But a sad event occurred in 2011 with the death of Lorraine Cordier. With the family saga set to continue, Nancy Bignon-Cordier was determined to move forward. Today, with the help of her husband Jean-Paul Bignon and their children Gustave, Philippine and Marguerite, she and her family are continuing the history of Château Talbot, keeping it among the most sought-after brands among fine wine lovers the world over.

 

110 hectares of vines in an exceptional terroir.

Right in the heart of the Saint-Julien plateau, an appellation that boasts no fewer than 11 Grands Crus Classés in 1855, Château Talbot owes its rank as the 4th Grand Cru Classé in 1855 to the quality of its wines, themselves the product of a terroir with high added value. These vines, with an average age of forty years, are located not far from the Gironde estuary, and neighbor another famous Médoc Cru Classé in 1855, Saint-Julien Léoville-Poyferré. They occupy alluvial gravel ridges carried from the Massif Central by the Dordogne river, and from the Pyrenees by the Garonne river. Talbot's soils are essentially composed of Gunzian gravel with asteriated limestone bedrock; The presence of limestone is ideal for planting at least 5 hectares of Sauvignon (80%) and Sémillon (20%) to produce the estate's famous dry white, Caillou Blanc. Talbot is following in the great tradition of the Médoc's 1855 crus classés, which have gone back to producing white grapes, where until the 1960s this part of the Gironde vineyard had a high proportion of vines planted with white grape varieties. The remaining 105 hectares are obviously dedicated to red grape varieties, which find here the ideal soil and terroir to express themselves fully and reach perfect maturity. Cabernet Sauvignon (the king of Médoc and Saint-Julien grapes) accounts for 66% of the blend, with 30% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, the grape variety adulated at Talbot by the owners, but so delicate to bring to maturity (its harvesting window is the shortest of all Bordeaux red grape varieties), but which gives blends that inimitable touch of spice and a very distinct signature for the châteaux that use it in their blends.

It should be noted that Talbot has long been committed to a policy of respect for the environment in the way it manages its vines right down to the technical parts for vinification. For example, since the 2018 vintage, the estate has obtained level 3 High Environmental Value (HVE) certification for its vineyard management. This part is, of course, the responsibility of Damien Hostein, the in-house vineyard manager, who, thanks to his deep and honed knowledge of the vineyards (he is said to have been in constant dialogue for many years with each and every vine that makes up Talbot's vines). Truth or legend, it doesn't matter, but great wines are born from grapes grown on perfectly tended and controlled vines. Now that's a hard truth! And here, at harvest time, the grape is king. The grapes are harvested by hand (no fewer than 120 cutters are present every year), in crates (so as not to crush them before the harvest reception area) and are first sorted in the vineyard before undergoing a second selective sorting at the harvest reception area. Quality is no joke. And to oversee the smooth running of the estate and these decisive phases, the talented Jean-Michel Laporte (ex-general manager of Château La Conseillante in Pomerol) has been at the helm since 2018, replacing another talented general manager, Jean-Pierre Marty who was GM from 2007 to 2017.

 

An elegant, sculptural cellar to match the harmony of Talbot wines.

 

In 2012, Talbot acquired a cellar of unparalleled elegance and dimensions. Designed by Bordeaux architects Gérard Vacheyrout and Paul Nairac, the cellar is disconcertingly unique. So much so, in fact, that it's considered one of the finest and most original architectural projects in winegrowing. With its 1,500 square meters, the winery is immediately striking for its creativity. The latter is unmistakably forest-like, with its 7-metre-high concrete trees. As for the infrastructure and shell, the cellar's pillars take the elegant shape of a goblet-pruned vine (a pruning practice not often used in Bordeaux, but regularly seen in the vineyards of south-eastern France, the Var, the southern Rhône Valley, Beaujolais and as far away as Spain). It's a proud-looking winery that can store an entire harvest, with a maximum capacity of 1,800 barrels. It's impressive, but there's nothing ostentatious about it, because Talbot never cultivates the ostentatious, always striving to preserve the elegance and harmony of its surroundings, just as it does with its wines. Since 2007, Jean-Max Drouilhet (former cellar master at Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, Château d'Agassac) has been working at Talbot on both vinification and ageing. 

 

Talbot, the subtle marriage of harmony and elegance in every bottle.

 

It has often been said that Talbot is the twin brother of another Saint-Julien Grand Cru Classé in 1855, Château Gruaud Larose, also located not far from Talbot. Does the comparison concern the location (the architecture) or the style of the wines produced by the two estates? Well, not really, because while Gruaud Larose is renowned for the harmony and delicacy of its wines, Talbot's - and for the same character traits or adjectives - are all their own. Talbot is a proud and worthy representative of its appellation: generous in aroma, suave, subtle and delicately chiseled on the palate without lacking in structure for exceptional longevity; for Talbot handles the decades with ease. To create or perpetuate the Talbot style, vintage after vintage, consultant oenologist Eric Boissenot (the preferred oenologist of the Médoc Grands Crus Classés, and before him, his father Jacques Boissenot) works alongside another great consultant, Stéphane Derenoncourt (an internationally-renowned consultant more used to working with Right Bank Grands Crus). Nancy Bignon Cordier and Jean-Paul Bignon surround themselves with a wealth of expertise to ensure that every Talbot wine, every vintage, has the authenticity and elegance it needs to reflect the terroir. It is also on this point that Talbot firmly builds its reputation as a great wine with exemplary consistency. When we talk about the style of Talbot wines, it is first and foremost embodied in the grand vin, without forgetting to express itself in its second wine, “Connétable” from Château Talbot, or its remarkable dry white, “Caillou blanc”. But let's get back to Talbot rouge, a wine renowned for its generosity, breed, silkiness and complexity.

 

Château Talbot 2018, the great wine.

 

The Grand Vin de Château Talbot is a wine of great class, with no ostentation, no bad temper and great amiability. It's as at home in tasting when young as it is decades after bottle ageing. A well-balanced wine with a natural finesse, its bouquet is often a subtle blend of licorice and Havana notes, while its velvety structure on the palate, with well-sheathed and coated tannins, is like a link between the legendary finesse of Margaux appellation wines and the generosity and power of those from Pauillac, or even Saint-Estèphe. A wine with real length, always promising moments of exacerbated happiness if you wait patiently.

This 2018 vintage is special for Talbot in more ways than one. Firstly, it returns to the excellence of Bordeaux vintages since the great 2015 and 2016. In fact, 2018 marks the start of another legendary trilogy, which, together with 2019 and 2020, forms the winning trio of successive great Bordeaux vintages, like the 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages and the 2009 and 2010 duos. In short, these are remarkable years to have in your cellar. But 2018 also marks an important anniversary for Château Talbot: the centenary of its acquisition by the Cordier family. To mark this centenary and celebrate this anniversary, the estate decided to change the wine's case into a unique silk-screened bottle (which will be of interest to collectors or fans of limited editions). The bottle has class and plays to the full the major symbolism of the pillars of Talbot's grand chai, a chai evoking both the roots of the vines (strong roots) and the trees anchored in the terroir, as if to better insist on the durability and solidity of the cru, standing admirably the test of time, and all within the same family: the Cordiers.

Organoleptically, Talbot 2018 has depth and charm, as usual. The color is intense and dark. The nose is prolix and rich in aromatic expression, with ripe, very fresh, pulpy fruit. The palate is full-bodied, chiselled, very well built around smooth, sheathed tannins with a wine weight (the back of the mouth) that is perhaps greater than usual (vintage effect). The finish is remarkable for its length and intensity. A very successful 2018 and a winning bet in this symbolic vintage for the estate. A wine with character and the promise of excellent ageing potential, as Talbot is so often wont to do.

 

 

Connétable du château Talbot (second wine).

 

Like its big brother, Connétable is graceful and not lacking in character. Playing the role of a wine to wait for the big label (typical of Bordeaux second wines), Château Talbot's Connétable is fresh and friendly on the palate. It remains a safe bet in the Médoc, in the family of second wines that have benefited over the years from a more selective batch policy (blending), in an elegant, amiable and classic style. Connétable was one of the first Médoc second wines (quite a precursor at the time) to be created in the 1960s on the initiative of Georges Cordier, the grandfather of the current owners.

 

 

Caillou Blanc 2021, Bordeaux blanc sec.

 

A white wine in the heart of the Médoc: a crazy or genius idea? Caillou Blanc is one of the Médoc's very first dry white wines, both in terms of existence and quality. Like the second wine, Georges Cordier was a true pioneer (not the only one, but among the first) to reintroduce the cultivation of white vines to Médoc soil in the 1930s. In other words, in Bordeaux, white was as important as red, even though Bordeaux evokes the omnipresence of the color red. And yet! This Bordeaux Blanc Sec appellation wine (since the Saint-Julien appellation only produces red according to the specifications of the appellation decree) is one of the most remarkable ever produced by an 1855 cru classé. It's a sure bet! It is characterized, among other characteristics and technical points, by its Burgundian-style ageing with regular batônages, which, like the great Burgundy whites 100% Chardonnay, has fatness and volume on the palate, without lacking power, sharpness and freshness, guaranteeing its balance on the palate.

The wine doesn't “sauvignonne” (on the contrary, it's ripe) and, with the Sémillon complementing the majority Sauvignon, offers an aromatic palette of great purity with a beautifully precise and dynamic palate. In this 2021 vintage, which was more successful for Bordeaux whites than for reds, the Château Talbot team opted for a blend of 73% Sauvignon and 27% Semillon. The 2021 vintage, with its cooler climate than in 2020 or 2022, enabled us to harvest more aromatic and fresher white grapes. The nose is elegant, sensual and even bewitching, offering expressions of lime blossom, candied lemon and verbena followed by a few notes of damp pebbles (its “mineral” side), in an overall sensation of freshness and a breath of oxygen. The wine is rich, precise and aromatic. The palate is precise and straightforward from the outset, with a sharp mid-palate that gives a great deal of dynamism to this dry white, which is already greedy in its youth, but which is sure to age well, given its well-dosed acidity. A top-class Caillou Blanc.

 

The great vintages of Château Talbot

 

1928-1929-1945-1947-1949-1953-1955-1959-1961-1970-1975-1978-1981-1982-1983-1985-1986-1988-1989-1990-1996-2000-2003-2005-2009-2010-2015-2016-2018-2019-2020-2022-2023