Talbot 2018

St Julien, Fourth Growth

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Tasting Notes
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. Score: 92 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023 - 2045 23 August 2021
The 2018 Talbot is Jean-Marc Laporte’s first vintage in charge, although he mentioned that he has not changed a great deal. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry, blueberry and violets aromas with much more vivacity than recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins and clearly more mid-palate. There is just more body and presence to this Talbot compared to previous vintages, more tension and grip on the graphite tinged finish. This is very promising not only for this vintage, but for the future of Talbot. Watch this space/château. Score: 91 - 93 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2045 01 November 2019
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. Score: 93 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2024 - 2044 22 July 2021
This estate is on a roll and the 2018 Château Talbot might just be the best yet. A deep purple/blue color is followed by a mammoth-sized bouquet of crème de cassis, dark chocolate, tobacco, and lead pencil. Rich, full-bodied, and powerful, it nevertheless stays pure, balanced, and elegant, with a beautiful finish. Its tannins are ripe and integrated, it has balancing acidity, and this is unquestionably another beautiful vintage for this estate. Score: 93 - 95 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 01 May 2019
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Talbot features notions of baked blackcurrants, stewed plums and bouquet garni with hints of tilled soil, tobacco leaf and pencil lead. The medium-bodied palate is softly textured with bags of juicy black fruits supported by chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing savory. Score: 91 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2023 - 2038 18 July 2021
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Talbot is just a little reduced to begin, opening out to reveal notions of warm red and black currants, baked plums and mulberries with touches of sautéed herbs, tilled soil, fallen leaves and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, it has commendably ripe, fine-grained tannins and restrained, earthy layers on offer in the mouth with an herbal lift on the finish. Score: 91 - 93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 23 April 2019
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. Score: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2027-2040 15 April 2019
Very attractive core of pretty fruit and polished yet chewy tannins. Medium to full body, integrated tannins and a driven finish. One of the best Talbots in a long time. Score: 94 - 95 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 11 April 2019
The 2018 Talbot is super-refined and nuanced from start to finish. Powerful yet also impeccably refined. Talbot is a wine of real character and glass. Savory Cabernet Sauvignon inflections of grilled herbs, cedar, tobacco, menthol, licorice and coffee all add shades of nuance. At times, Talbot can be a bit light. Not in 2018. Simply put, the 2018 Talbot is stellar. Tasted two times. Score: 91 - 94 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 April 2019
Shows range, with cassis, blueberry and plum fruit and a nice snap of licorice throughout. Fleshy, but with latent drive on the finish. A concentrated, solid wine. Score: 93 - 96 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 01 April 2019

Tasting Notes

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.

Score: 92

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023 - 2045 23 August 2021

The 2018 Talbot is Jean-Marc Laporte’s first vintage in charge, although he mentioned that he has not changed a great deal. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry, blueberry and violets aromas with much more vivacity than recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins and clearly more mid-palate. There is just more body and presence to this Talbot compared to previous vintages, more tension and grip on the graphite tinged finish. This is very promising not only for this vintage, but for the future of Talbot. Watch this space/château.

Score: 91 - 93

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2045 01 November 2019

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.

Score: 93

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2024 - 2044 22 July 2021

This estate is on a roll and the 2018 Château Talbot might just be the best yet. A deep purple/blue color is followed by a mammoth-sized bouquet of crème de cassis, dark chocolate, tobacco, and lead pencil. Rich, full-bodied, and powerful, it nevertheless stays pure, balanced, and elegant, with a beautiful finish. Its tannins are ripe and integrated, it has balancing acidity, and this is unquestionably another beautiful vintage for this estate.

Score: 93 - 95

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 01 May 2019

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Talbot features notions of baked blackcurrants, stewed plums and bouquet garni with hints of tilled soil, tobacco leaf and pencil lead. The medium-bodied palate is softly textured with bags of juicy black fruits supported by chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing savory.

Score: 91

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2023 - 2038 18 July 2021

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Talbot is just a little reduced to begin, opening out to reveal notions of warm red and black currants, baked plums and mulberries with touches of sautéed herbs, tilled soil, fallen leaves and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, it has commendably ripe, fine-grained tannins and restrained, earthy layers on offer in the mouth with an herbal lift on the finish.

Score: 91 - 93

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 23 April 2019

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.

Score: 94

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2027-2040 15 April 2019

Very attractive core of pretty fruit and polished yet chewy tannins. Medium to full body, integrated tannins and a driven finish. One of the best Talbots in a long time.

Score: 94 - 95

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 11 April 2019

The 2018 Talbot is super-refined and nuanced from start to finish. Powerful yet also impeccably refined. Talbot is a wine of real character and glass. Savory Cabernet Sauvignon inflections of grilled herbs, cedar, tobacco, menthol, licorice and coffee all add shades of nuance. At times, Talbot can be a bit light. Not in 2018. Simply put, the 2018 Talbot is stellar. Tasted two times.

Score: 91 - 94

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 April 2019

Shows range, with cassis, blueberry and plum fruit and a nice snap of licorice throughout. Fleshy, but with latent drive on the finish. A concentrated, solid wine.

Score: 93 - 96

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 01 April 2019

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