Winemaker Notes
Undeniably, Talbot is one of the most famous Médoc wines. Having been in the same family for more than a century, this estate with more than one hundred hectares of vines produces wine that is recognized for the consistent quality of its vintages.
‘For many, Talbot embodies the ideal Saint Julien, a generous bouquet, extremely stable and dependable during aging,’ emphasize Bettane and Desseauve in their Guide to French Wines.
It’s true, Talbot is a champion of longevity; even young Talbot is pleasant and rounded, always characterized by silky, mild and very civilized tannins. Talbot possesses an expansive character. It’s never withdrawn into itself and has the courtesy of being in a good mood every day. It’s a racy wine, with complex marks of Havana tobacco and licorice, classically delicious without ever the slightest hint of austerity.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lovely, showing good depth for the vintage, with cassis, graphite and some roasted spices. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine-grained tannins and a long, vertical finish. A blend of 77% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 3% petit verdot.
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Vinous
The 2023 Talbot is another strong wine for this re-emerging estate. Powerful, deep and impressively resonant, the 2023 is striking. Dark-toned fruit, new leather, lavender and dried herbs build over time. There's terrific depth and intensity here, with fine balance to match. This is a superb showing from Talbot and the team led by Estate Director Jean-Michel Laporte. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
Wine Spectator
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.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Red and black fruits, spicy wood, graphite, spring flowers, and sappy herbs all emerge from the 2023 Château Talbot, a juicy, perfumed, lively Saint-Julien that has medium-bodied richness, integrated acidity, and fine tannins. Based on 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot and aged 16 months in 60% new French oak, it has beautiful purity and is a classic Talbot that will round into form with 4-5 years of bottle age and drink brilliantly over the following 30 years or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Offering up aromas of dark berries, baking chocolate, plums, espresso roast and crushed mint, the 2023 Talbot is medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with a rich but lively core of fruit, powdery tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Harvested over the course of fully four weeks, it's a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot that attained 13% alcohol.
Barrel Sample: 92-94 -
Decanter
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 things that bode well for future complexity after barrel ageing (60% new oak) and five to ten years cellaring. But we are not in 2019 or 2020, as the finish does show some tannic austerity. All things considered, a very successful Talbot, and potential for a higher score in bottle.
Barrel Sample: 93 -
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Château Talbot has long been a model of reliability, and the 2023 vintage continues that tradition. The wine delivers excellent black-fruit depth, a subtle shading of oak, and firm, well-proportioned tannins that give it classic Saint-Julien structure. Pair this with a perfectly grilled, well-marbled entrecôte seasoned simply with sea salt and cracked black pepper, finished with a knob of herb-flecked butter and served alongside crisp pommes frites, allowing the wine’s fruit and tannins to shine in a timeless Médoc pairing. (Tasted: January 22, 2026, San Francisco, CA)
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
An icon of balance and tradition, St. Julien boasts the highest proportion of classed growths in the Médoc. What it lacks in any first growths, it makes up in the rest: five amazing second growth chateaux, two superb third growths and four well-reputed fourth growths. While the actual class rankings set in 1855 (first, second, and so on the fifth) today do not necessarily indicate a score of quality, the classification system is important to understand in the context of Bordeaux history. Today rivalry among the classed chateaux only serves to elevate the appellation overall.
One of its best historically, the estate of Leoville, was the largest in the Médoc in the 18th century, before it was divided into the three second growths known today as Chateau Léoville-Las-Cases, Léoville-Poyferré and Léoville-Barton. Located in the north section, these are stone’s throw from Chateau Latour in Pauillac and share much in common with that well-esteemed estate.
The relatively homogeneous gravelly and rocky top soil on top of clay-limestone subsoil is broken only by a narrow strip of bank on either side of the “jalle,” or stream, that bisects the zone and flows into the Gironde.
St. Julien wines are for those wanting subtlety, balance and consistency in their Bordeaux. Rewarding and persistent, the best among these Bordeaux Blends are full of blueberry, blackberry, cassis, plum, tobacco and licorice. They are intense and complex and finish with fine, velvety tannins.