Talbot 2018

St Julien, Fourth Growth

Units	Size	Case size	GBP Price:	Quantities	Buy
30	75cl Bottle	Case 6	£250 per Btl	Cases	[Add to shopping basket]

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. Score: 93 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2024-2044 10 April 2024
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
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, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2023-2045 21 March 2021
The 2018 Talbot is quite the powerhouse. Inky and deep, the 2018 possesses striking textural richness from start to finish. Inky dark fruit, licorice, cloves, new leather, menthol, violet and chocolate fill out the layers effortlessly in this decidedly flashy Saint-Julien. This is a terrific effort for Technical Director Jean-Michel Laporte in his first vintage at Talbot. It will be interesting to see where the château goes in future years. This is certainly an opulent, rich style. Score: 93 Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2028-2048 01 March 2021
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
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

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.

Score: 93

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2024-2044 10 April 2024

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

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, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2023-2045 21 March 2021

The 2018 Talbot is quite the powerhouse. Inky and deep, the 2018 possesses striking textural richness from start to finish. Inky dark fruit, licorice, cloves, new leather, menthol, violet and chocolate fill out the layers effortlessly in this decidedly flashy Saint-Julien. This is a terrific effort for Technical Director Jean-Michel Laporte in his first vintage at Talbot. It will be interesting to see where the château goes in future years. This is certainly an opulent, rich style.

Score: 93

Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2028-2048 01 March 2021

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

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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