Connétable de Talbot 2015, Saint-Julien

Winemaker and vineyard : It is on the plateau of Saint-Julien that one can see from afar the Château Talbot, in the middle of an ocean of vines, between the large trees of its park. This wine is named after the Constable Talbot, Count of Shrewsbury, famous English war man and governor of Guyenne, defeated at the battle of Castillon in 1453. In 1855, during the classification of the crus of Médoc and Graves ordered by Emperor Napoleon III, Château Talbot was promoted fourth grand cru classé of Saint-Julien. After being owned by the Marquis d’Aux for decades, the estate was acquired in 1918 by Désiré Cordier. In total, the 110 hectares of the Château Talbot vineyard extend all around the house to the northern borders of the appellation, on the border of Pauillac. Planted on a terroir of fine günzian gravel on a limestone base with asterias, forming draining hillsides, there is a majority of red vines (105 hectares) and a confidential area of white vines (5 hectares). The maintenance of the vineyard is among the most impeccable in the Médoc. The wines, followed by Nancy Bignon-Cordier with the precious advice of the oenologist Eric Boissenot and the consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt, are generous and of great elegance. Their easy tasting and their silky tannins allow them to be appreciated young as well as after a long cellaring. Over time, they develop a delicate and complex aromatic bouquet of cedar and Havana.

Tasting : The 2015 Connetable de Talbot is medium to deep garnet-purple with warm black fruit and dried herbs on the nose with touches of fungi and pencil lead. The medium-bodied mouth is firm, a little lean and hard. robertparker.com (02.21.2018)

Service : Serve room temperature ((16-18°C) to accompany a warm pheasant pâté.