Chateau Talbot 2020

Chateau Talbot's 110-hectare vineyard, located on the edge of the Gironde estuary with ridges of Medoc gravel and alluvial deposits, is a 4th Classified Growth of Saint-Julien. Its vines, which have an average age of 45 years, are harvested by hand and sorted manually and optically before vinification in oak vats. Aging is completed in barrels, up to 60% of which are new oak, for 15 months before bottling. Desired Cordier acquired Chateau Talbot in 1918 and it is currently managed by Nancy Bignon-Cordier and her husband, Jean-Paul Bignon.

Grape Composition: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot

Wine Spectator: 95
Exuberant, with generous plum sauce, licorice root, blackberry compote and apple wood notes vying for attention, as graphite and cast iron accents drive along underneath. Reveals a little flash of exotic toast that snazzes up the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2030.

Wine Advocate: 92
Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Talbot storms out of the glass with powerful blackcurrants, raspberry leaves and baked plums scents, followed by suggestions of dried Mediterranean herbs, tobacco leaf and graphite. The medium-bodied palate delivers lovely freshness and an approachable chewiness, nicely framing the herb-laced black fruits, finishing savory.

Decanter: 95
This is a great Talbot, a real success for the château. Subtle and deft touches throughout, from the smoked turmeric notes that lace the black fruits to the finessed aromatics that accompany the body of the wine. Balance and freshness, and a saline edge to the finish that is extremely moreish. Three years with Jean-Michel Laporte as director and he is doing great work.

Wine Enthusiast: 95
Spicy, structured and dense, this is a complex, smoky and powerful wine. With polished fruit and structure, it comes from an increasingly impressive estate.

James Suckling: 94
Focused and composed with notes of currants, truffles, dried leaves, dark chocolate and graphite. It’s full-bodied, with firm, fine tannins giving sturdy support throughout. Savory and austere at the moment. Needs some time to open up. Best after 2026.

Jeb Dunnuck: 94
Another gorgeous 2020, the 2020 Château Talbot has an almost Pauillac-like sense of graphite and lead pencil as well as ripe blackcurrant fruit, medium to full body, and abundant notes of smoked tobacco, leather, and dried herbs. It shows the more focused, almost austere, yet still ripe style of the vintage and has terrific mid-palate depth, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. There's an almost old school Bordeaux-like vibe in this beauty, but it's not rustic in any way, the balance is spot on, and it has loads of character. I'd be thrilled with bottles in the cellar.

Jeb Dunnuck: 94

Another gorgeous 2020, the 2020 Château Talbot has an almost Pauillac-like sense of graphite and lead pencil as well as ripe blackcurrant fruit, medium to full body, and abundant notes of smoked tobacco, leather, and dried herbs. It shows the more focused, almost austere, yet still ripe style of the vintage and has terrific mid-palate depth, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. There's an almost old school Bordeaux-like vibe in this beauty, but it's not rustic in any way, the balance is spot on, and it has loads of character. I'd be thrilled with bottles in the cellar.