Château Talbot is located in the famous Saint-Julien-Beychevelle in the heart of the Médoc, Bordeaux. The estate is named after Sir John Talbot, who was the first Earl of Shrewsbury. In the 15th century, he was sent here as commander of the English military at the Battle of Castillon.
Château Talbot is included in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855, 4e Grand Cru Classé. Since 1917, the estate has been owned by the Cordier family. Stéphane Derenoncourt is the wine advisor and, together with Jean-Mac Drouilde, supervises vinification in the cellar. The vineyard management is carried out by Damien Hostein and he works closely with Michel Laporte and Nancy Bignon-Cordier, who are in charge of the estate. Together, they ensure the continuity of the company and warrant the quality of the wine.
The vineyard area consists of more than 100 hectares and is planted with eleven different grape varieties. Of these 100 hectares, 5 hectares have white grape varieties, the other hectares are intended for the production of red wine. Due to the deposition of the Dordogne river, the soil consists of an alluvial composition with mainly gravel and pebbles. This soil composition ensures the right drainage, which contributes to good fruit setting.
No fewer than 120 employees work at harvesting all vineyards by hand. During harvesting, the bunches are selected for maturity. Both stainless steel tanks and wooden barrels are used for the vinification. The combination of age-old traditions and modern equipment creates wines that are balanced, with a lot of layering.
The enormous wine cellar takes up 1,500 square meters and houses 1,800 barrels. The duration of the wood aging varies per vintage and cuvée, but usually this is 15 months. The winery also produces a second wine, the Connétable Talbot.
Because Talbot's wines are appreciated worldwide, a certificate of authenticity has been introduced. Each bottle has a QR code with an authentication feature. You can scan this code with a smartphone and check the bottle for authenticity.
Excellent vintages from Château Talbot are: 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.
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