Château Talbot 2023

77% Cabernet, the highest proportion ever in Talbot; deep, expressive, black-fruited, licorice, blond tobacco, very complex; on the palate densely built, marked tannins, chiseled from stone, plenty of breed, magnificent length, dark chocolate on the finish. A textbook Talbot, capable of aging.

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 signs that bode well for future complexity after barrel ageing (60% new oak) and five to ten years of cellaring. But we are not in 2019 or 2020, as the finish does show some tannic austerity. All things considered, a very successful Talbot, with potential for a higher score in bottle.

Flowers, licorice, blackberries, black cherries, and a hint of chocolate drive the perfume. The medium-bodied, creamy palate packs in all the ripe, sweet fruits, peppery spices, and chalky minerality you could ask for. Drink from 2029-2050.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate brightening on the rim. Fine herbal savouriness, black forest berries, dark cherries, delicately smoky, nougat underneath. Complex, juicy, elegant, ripe tannins, dark cherries on the finish, lingers long, a finely spicy food wine.

More proof that Talbot is on a roll, revved up and ready to take off. This is a brilliantly juicy but understated Talbot, lovely quality, classically minded with cassis, blueberry, mint leaf, cocoa bean, espresso and powerful grilled fennel. Great stuff. 60% new oak for ageing, and a generous 54hl/ha yield.

Score: 94–96. Tender and calm like a seascape, discreet, the bouquet offers a whole range of floral, vegetal and graphite notes, with a sappy freshness. Crushed raspberries, ripe blackberry and cherry, as well as peppery notes, add up to a wonderfully generous nose. On the palate, it’s a controlled burst of fruit—ripe, quivering, melodious—with lovely freshness, polished tannins, and a satiny texture.

The nose is fruity, precise, racy, beautifully fresh, offering complexity, finesse, cool-toned darkness, depth, and a subtle multi-layered side. It reveals notes of blackberry and spices, and more lightly of pulpy raspberry, together with touches of fresh, fairly ripe red berries (Mediterranean edge), as well as discreet hints of Penjab pepper, spices, lily, and cocoa. The palate is beautifully juicy and fruity, delivering freshness, minerality, a vibrant backbone, and a well-defined sense of accuracy. It shows notes of juicy/pulpy blackberry and violet, and more lightly of bright fresh wild raspberry, joined by touches of cornflower, roasted-juicy wild red berries, along with hints of racy/saline minerality and a subtle hint of fresh flowers, mocha, camphor, and graphite. The tannins are sapid and velvety. Lovely dark tonality and harmony, a touch of plushness and a very discreet grain on the finish/persistence. A subtle hint of graphite on the nose. An elongated feel on nose and palate, with cocoa-tinged bitterness.

Generous and stylish, with a mouthwatering apple wood thread that curls in and around a core of gently mulled boysenberry, blueberry and blackberry compote flavors. Flashes of dried anise and cast iron flitter through, and the finish is long and grippy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2040. 30,000 cases made, 1,700 cases imported.