History

It is on the Saint-Julien plateau that Château Talbot can be seen from afar, in the middle of an ocean of vines, between the tall trees of its park. The history of this vineyard is rich. It bears the name of Constable Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, famous English man of war and Governor of Guyenne, defeated at the battle of Castillon in 1453. In 1855, during the classification of the Médoc and Graves crus ordered by Emperor Napoleon III, Château Talbot was promoted to the fourth great classified growth of Saint-Julien. After having been the property of the Marquis d'Aux for decades, the estate was acquired in 1918 by Désiré Cordier.

Terroir

In total, the 110 hectares of Château Talbot's vineyard extend all around the estate as far as the northern borders of the appellation, on the edge of Pauillac. Planted on a terroir of fine Günzian gravel on a base of limestone with asteries, forming draining crests, the majority of the vineyard is planted with red vines (105 ha) and a confidential area of white vines (5 ha). The vineyard is one of the most impeccable in the Médoc. The wines, monitored by Nancy Bignon-Cordier with the precious advice of oenologist Eric Boissenot and consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt, are generous and of great elegance. They are easy to taste and their silky tannins allow them to be enjoyed young as well as after a long cellar ageing. Over time, they develop a delicate and complex aromatic bouquet of cedar and havana. Château Talbot is certified High Environmental Value level 3.

Vinification

The vines, with an average age of 50 years, are harvested by hand. Vinification and maturing are traditional. The wines are aged for 15 to 18 months in mostly new French oak barrels.