2016 Chateau Talbot Saint-Julien

  • "Readers Looking for a Great Value Should Purchase a Case of this Beauty." ~ Jeb Dunnuck
  • "Beautiful St. Julien...Better from 2021" ~James Suckling
  • "Ideal St. Julien" is Neighbor to Leoville Las Cases
  • Stephane Derenoncourt and Eric Boissenot consulting

About the Wine

Undeniably, Talbot is one of the most famous Médoc wines and certainly one of the best values in Saint-Julien. The Cordier family (an important Bordeaux negociant) has owned Talbot for more than a century. Named after a British soldier and dating to the fourteenth century, his important estate consists of more than one hundred hectares of vines. Talbot produces wine that is recognized for the consistent quality of its vintages. 2016 is the third of a trio of highly successful vintages at Talbot.For many, Talbot embodies the ideal Saint Julien with a generous bouquet, extremely stable and dependable during aging,’ emphasizes Bettane and Desseauve in their Guide to French Wines.

Talbot has been classified as a 4th Growth since the 1855 Grand Cru classification.

At Château Talbot, the wine combines both the past and the future; respect for tradition and technological evolution live in perfect harmony. The outcome of the combination of techniques, soil, and the people who passionately work it, is wines loaded with character, harmonious, and complex with the promise of beneficial longevity. Bordeaux enthusiasts who have had the chance to drink Talbot at 10+ years know this is an amazing wine to cellar and is available at a price that won't break the bank.Indeed, compare the pricing of Talbot to its neighbors at Leoville Las Cases, Leoville Poyferre, and Leoville Barton, and you'll be giddy about the quality and value.

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 It’s never withdrawn into itself and has the courtesy of being in a good mood every day.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 floral aromas, complex marks of Havana tobacco and licorice, classically delicious without even the slightest hint of austerity.

Vine age: 50 years

Aging: 15 months in 50% New French Oak Barrels

Tasting Notes:66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Talbot can be wound up in its youth, but it's eminently drinkable. At 6-12 years, Talbot hits its stride and it's just yummy right now. An instant classic from a stellar vintage, the wine has broad shoulders, but there are feminine qualities of floral aromas, bright black cherry fruit, and a seamless integration. This wine is a joy to drink. Get it before its gone.

Reviews

Rock 'em, sock 'em St.-Julien, with mouthcoating ganache and tar notes backed by commensurate cassis, blueberry paste, and blackberry reduction flavors. The long finish rumbles through, with a buried brambly grip providing the support for the dense fruit and toast to meld. Best from 2025 through 2040. 29,833 cases were made. ~95WS

This is already a beautiful St.-Julien that’s ripe and elegant with not a jot too much oak or tannin, but a very fresh and lively finish that keeps on going. However, there are some serious reserves in this wine that need time to be released. Already very harmonious, but better from 2021.  ~94 James Suckling

The smooth texture of this wine is deceptive. Behind its ripe black fruits and acidity, the wine has a strong sense of structure to give shape and potential to the freshness and fruit. The wine will age, not perhaps for the really long term but certainly, it is worth waiting until 2025. ~93WE

Brought up in 50% new oak, the 2016 Château Talbot is a winner and certainly over-delivers. Powerful notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, lead pencil, and leafy herbs all give way to a silky, seamless Saint-Julien that has remarkable purity of fruit and building, fine tannins. It’s the texture as well as the purity that set this apart, and readers looking for great value should purchase a case of this beauty. ~93 Jeb Dunnuck

The 2016 Talbot is medium garnet-purple colored and opens with pretty floral notes of roses and lavender with a core of cassis, blackberry preserves, and kirsch plus wafts of cigar box and spearmint. Medium-bodied with a lovely intensity of black and red fruit flavors, it has a ripe, grainy texture and compelling freshness, finishing savory. ~92 Wine Advocate

***Free Shipping on 6 or more Bottles of this Wine***