Chateau Talbot 4eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien

I continue to love tasting the evolution of this wine-- I bought a case for a now-obscene price upon release, because that is what I could afford then... the Cordier "stable" of wines were all excellent values then, and I also still have Gruaud Larose from a few 80's vintages (notably, 1986 and 1989), and also the Meyney. It turned out far exceeding my expectations, as well as that of this wine's pedigree. This is a 4'th growth from St. …

1986 vintage

Very tertiary but very alive. Delicious

1986 vintage

PnP. BDX glass. Deep ruby with full garnet rim. Nose is complex dark fruit, cigar box, leather, graphite, textbook left bank. Palate is dry, dark fruit, plum, cassis ; med acidity, low tannin, medium+ body. Med+ finish. ABV 12,5%. Everything about this wine is why I love aged Bordeaux. Unquestionably at its peak; tannins fully resolved yet still maintains fresh acidity and fruit. Complex and downright delicious. Outstanding quality 97

1986 vintage

Gorgeous from the moment the bottle was opened. Rich, elegant, and silky, with leather, cedar, autumn forest, black plums, walnuts, and spice cake, followed by a lovely and exceptionally long aftertaste. No tannins at all. A stunning wine. [Tasted over an hour and three quarters from the Jancis Robinson glass, with very little change over that time. I gave this bottle two weeks upright to let the sediment settle out.] Previously tasted 11/10/25, 7/10/24, 10/28/23, 2/15/23, and 9/22/20. Like every …

1986 vintage

St. Julien Lunch (YH Beijing - SF) : Wow, this is incredibly open and approachable. Tannins are pretty much resolved, endowing an incredible silkiness texturally. Dark fruit graced with just a hint of charcoal to add complexity. There's juicy, refreshing acidity and its very elegant, graceful, and quite light on its feet (for Bordeaux). This is probably at peak, and it is absolutely delicious.

1986 vintage

St. Julien lunch (YH Beijing, SF) : A bit of the Cordier funk here. Purple and black fruit, meat-and-animale, but not overtly bretty. Finer tannins than the other two 86s. A complete wine that is WOTD for some, but for my palate it is just a touch foursquare and doesn't really move me.

1986 vintage

Business dinner. Limited notes. The Rains... 1996 Phelan Segur [91] 1988 Clerc Milon [90] 2003 Ducru-Beaucaillou [93] 1986 Talbot [93] 1995 Leoville Las Cases [94] 2018 Pichon-Longueville Baron [95] 2009 Lynch-Bages [94] I do not think that I have tasted this chateau more than five times.

1986 vintage

At a tasting of seven first and second growths from 1986, this showed remarkably well and having enjoyed a number of bottles of this vintage from Talbot, the case can be made that this is the best wine Talbot has ever produced. Lots of tertiary notes but enough fruit and complexity to make this stand up to the best of the other wines.

1986 vintage

I was afraid it was overdue given the suggested drinking window. But still sound, rich an fabulous. A little hint of oxidation maybe, so drink up now!

1986 vintage

My second bottle of this 39 years old wine gave me great joy, considering the bottle in 2023. Top shoulder. Long cork is removed intact and shows seepage across its length, but is in excellent condition for its age. Not decanted. Brick-red with a russet-tawny fringe. The nose immediately shows the funk this wine is supposed to exhibit, so I instinctively expect a better showing. Beside the funk, there is a lovely and complex sense of stalks, decay and boiled …

1986 vintage

A BYO. Tasting profile as previous.

1986 vintage

Drinking very nicely at 66 years old, ruby with garnet edges, nice core of currants and cherry, tobacco, cedar, graphite, well integrated tannins, good finish

1959 vintage

An excellent bottle (in perfect condition, label and label). Fully resolved of course but still so much energy! First encounter and what en encounter! I had a fallout with Bordeaux a while back but this is my style: elegant and with aged. This is keeping very well. Unfortunately, my only bottle, bought recently so got lucky i guess…

1986 vintage

Cork disintegrated, earthy musty funk on the nose and some mold on the top of the cork. Deep red with slight browning at edges. Decanted, swirled and with air time the undesirable odors subsided but the wine was still closed. A good friend showed me the blender treatment which made this wine come alive. Balanced, smooth and complex. A joy to drink. This could age easily another 5-10 years but I fear the cork condition could limit that so I’d …

1986 vintage

Unfortunately over the hill

1986 vintage

From half. PNP. Notes of coffee and leather. I felt the wine was a bit muted and may have benefited from more air.

1989 vintage

This is a stunning wine! Wonderful even from the moment the bottle was opened: Cedar, raw blueberries, and autumn forest, with just a touch of ripe strawberries, followed by an intense and fabulously long aftertaste. At this stage, the wine was light bodied and a bit acidic. But after about 20 minutes in the glass the wine filled out to become medium bodied and distinctly graceful. And by 40 minutes in the glass, the acidity had vanished, and tobacco, just …

1986 vintage

Nose: cedar, smoke, leather, lemongrass, truffles Notes: 12.5% ABV. I feel this is already a little off peak and no longer drinking too well today. Although the depth and complexity is still here but it surely lacks the body and energy. This would taste better if I had it say 5 years ago. Most of the fruits are gone and this begins to lack freshness. Drink: now+ Rating: 89

1986 vintage

One of the best bargains in Bordeaux over the last 2 decades, this is still delivering. However, in spite of my previous optimism, that this probably needs to be drunk over the next half decade to enjoy it at its best. It is still a magnificent example of mature Bordeaux, with textbook notes of plum, blackcurrant, and leather with residual hints of cedar, but the tannin is becoming a little exposed on the palate. However, it is perfectly balanced with …

1986 vintage

Broad base aging notes of malt, sweet pipe tobacco, leather, earth and wet leaves. Sweet cherry core. a minty layer adds a herbal touch. A light floral touch as add-on. Light but structured palate. Drinking at its peak and consistently good!

1986 vintage

What a lovely wine. No real signs of age. Lovely bouquet. Beautiful wine. Elegant. A quintessential Bordeaux profile. Enjoyed with friends at a spectacular dinner at the Salt Lake Country Club Chef's Experience. I love wines like this. They keep me loving French wines above all else.

1986 vintage

Stable smells in the bouquet, rustic and very mature. Still complex and pleasurable but don’t wait too long anymore.

1989 vintage

This ‘86 grand vin from Chateau Talbot was served & enjoyed at JK’s weekly wine meetup in NYC! I had high hopes for this wine. Our bottle was in great shape. This wine is still powerful and fruit is still there but it feels more primary and short lived. Tasting notes of red fruits, barnyardy leather, sweet spice, cedar. Similar to my note on the '82 Meyney - we had these two bottles side by side for comparison. I found …

1986 vintage

Last bottle. The best by far with clear nice fruit.

1986 vintage

good drinking now

1986 vintage

Exactly what it should be. Fully mature with lots of fruit and lots of tannins. I’ve had this wine many many times over the last 25+ years and it still holds up. Very long and a perfect example of 1986 fruit and tannins with a touch of Cordier funk. Wines like this aren’t made any more, which is a shame.

1986 vintage

Sadly the cork did not hold up on this one

1986 vintage

Nose graphite coffee bell pepper and tart cherry. Body tart but sweet cheery graphite light leather milk chocolate little toffee. Acidity is high. Still has 10-20 years of legs. Required 80 minutes to open up. I would hold if I had another.

1989 vintage

An hour decant helped this wine open up. The wine became a little heavier and was more fruit-forward and less vegetal. We really enjoyed it but should probably be consumed.

1994 vintage

Eighth time tasted since 2013, still 100 points! Absolutely unbelievable at age 39! Bought on release for about $25 and stored perfectly all these years. Typical and pronounced "barnyard" aromas of earth, leather, mushrooms, anise, blackberries. Lots of dark fruit flavors to match, viscous, perfectly balanced, very long aftertaste with anise more pronounced. Last bottle. I just ordered some 2010 Talbot, hope it will be as good! Ric

1986 vintage

CdB Tasting & After-Party (Fleher Hof) : Considerable bottle variation with this wine. Out of three bottles one was flawed and the other two were quite different. The better of the two showed its age, but also that it had aged gracefully. Something you might not expect from an '89. Considering the Parker rating (of 87 atm) this punches above its weight.

1989 vintage

Bordeaux 1994 – 30 Years On – 25 Reds : All wines tasted blind, bottles with impeccable provenance. Overall impression? The 1994 vintage is weak. A pedestrian 86.4-point average, and only five wines managed to break the 90 point barrier. A few observations: A) These wines were thin, short, and lacking depth. Not much in the way of complexity or length. B) A lot of these wines leaned herbaceous, tannins unripe, fruit missing. Not much balance and charm. C) Too …

1994 vintage

Like an Assam tea. But also sort of dead. Like a Christmas pudding that's been forgotten. Stale and sad. Sappy and sloppy. Also bitter and angular. Actually quite unpleasant.

1989 vintage

Cheese is an excuse (Ricard's house) : Quite Bretty - even dirty - and heady on the nose, too. More to enjoy on the palate, which was gracefully medium-bodied, with some red fruit that became increasingly tart on the finish. A little bit pinched and presumably had seen better days (but we still drank it...).

1989 vintage

Bordeaux 1994 horizontal tasting (Fribourg) : Part of a Bordeaux 1994 vintage horizontal. A tannic vintage with often unripe tannins and insufficient fruit. Right bank already in steep decline while left bank manages more alive, but little to offer. Snippets and takeaways in the tasting story. Tasting note: Ripe, rather darker fruit. There is a certain sweetness that has appeal. Fresh herbal notes, fine sous-bois and barnyard, black coffee. The palate shows decent intensity, but also even more advanced aromas …

1994 vintage

65 years! Good colour, leather, black fruits, good standing over nearly an hour

1959 vintage

Pours a deep ruby with bricking edges. Initial nose of mulch and bellpepper that opens up to smoked meats and eucalyptus. Medium acid. Pencil lead and cherry. Finishes with hints of smoke and spice. Enjoyed

1989 vintage

Offering an easy charm, the ‘89 Talbot shows a nicely fruity nose, full of cassis, cherry alongside beef blood, clove, pencil, and cedar. The appealing roundness on the nose doesn’t quite transition to the palate; this is a little tart and feels like it’s thinning out a bit, corroborated but the shortish, woody finish. While its best days are behind it, this is still a good accompaniment to a meal.

1989 vintage

There are some previous notes in the last five or six that is spot on. I bought this bottle at auction and it was a pnp slowly after a glorious bottle Jean Folliard. This wine first sniffs like fresh tree bark mulch from Home Depot just when you first open the bag. There is enough acid to suggest this could last another decade but it’s slightly past peak imo. The fruit still there reminds me of dried plums and English …

1989 vintage

Tasted at a Bordeaux and pizza event. Excellent but not as good as my past bottles of this, I am guessing that this could have used more decant time (may have been pnp when I tasted). Very red fruited and good acidity, nice with pizza!

1989 vintage

Eðalklúbbur. Vínsmakk apríl 2024. (Marbakkabraut 12) : Liturinn orðinn brúnleitur. Samt alveg mesta furða hvað hann var unglegur á 35 ára gömlu víni. Oxunartónar í ilmi en samt var hann líka ótrúlega ferskur. Viður, sag og lakk. Lítill ávöxtur. Á tungu. Bismarck brjóstsykur, piparmynta, sveppir (á góðan hátt), jarðarber og blóð. Flott vín og ótrúlega vel á sig komið miðað við að vera orðið 35 ára gamalt. Þess má geta að tappinn var orðinn blautur nánast í gegn. Vínið fékk …

1989 vintage

Earth; mature; blackberry; earthy finish.

1989 vintage

My last bottle of the 89 and the one with the most suspect cellaring. It was past peak but still drinkable. Subtle fruit, lots of tertiary notes on the nose. Still some acidity, not dead, mellow tannins. Still pretty well balanced although its definitely on the back side of the curve. We enjoyed the bottle but were very glad we opened it. We had 7 bottles of the 89, the other six were properly cellared since delivery in 91. I …

1989 vintage

Fabulous. Dark fruit, olive tapenade not much tannin. But extraordinarily delicious. Last bottle.

1989 vintage

Deep, dark garnet in color with slight bricking & clearing at the edges. Initially the nose had a touch of barnyard notes which dissipated with airing to a full, forward & attractive nose of matured, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries, & cassis with overtones of classic cigar box notes of cedar & tobacco, floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty, leather, herbs, minerals & truffles in the background. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit …

1989 vintage

In the regal realm of wines, Château Talbot reigns as a venerable monarch, and the 1989 vintage is a jewel within its crown. A libation that transcends the ordinary, it stands as a testament to Bordeaux's rich heritage, a symphony composed by nature and nurtured by the skilled artisans of the estate. This surprised me. There was a punch at 2 hour decant that combined with my escargot and Royal White Sturgeon was beyond intoxicating. The combination of the caviar …

1989 vintage

The 1959 Talbot is a good representation of the estate's performance in that era, even though it doesn't live up to the 1961 or 1947. Nevertheless, it's a wonderfully pretty wine, full of delicate redcurrant and raspberry, slightly nutty, eventually showing a little bit of the green peppercorn Talbot of this era so often exhibits. The fruit carries through well on the palate alongside beef blood and a note which begins coffee-like and transitions to sandalwood.

1959 vintage

No numerical rating as the wine wasn't opened under favorable circumstances. Mid-shoulder fill level which isn't too bad for a 76 year old wine. The cork came out relatively intact in two pieces. The hue was a little paler than expected but not alarmingly so. classic St Julien nose with fading fruit, cigarbox and gravel. Served a little too warm, so difficult to truly evaluate the balance of the wine. A shame.

1947 vintage

Decanted for one hour in a small decanter. Medium garnet colour. Black currant, dark cherry, blueberry, blackberry, red currant, cedar, tobacco, complex spices notes, cinnamon, clove, and light balsamic notes, with good, medium-level acidity, fully resolved tannin, and great persistence. Smoothly textured and very harmonious. In a great place! Drink now.

1989 vintage

Day 4 - From a small capped bottle distributed for a zoom tasting. Nose is very nutty and marzipan nose. Quite tertiary, sweet and rich w carob and soy? Palate is a little lean and dry. Nutty. Finish is a little muted but very silky and well balanced in mouthfeel. Probably a 15/20

1989 vintage

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Chateau Talbot 4eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien

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