Winemaker and vineyard: On the plateau of Saint-Julien, you can see Château Talbot from afar, amidst an ocean of vineyards, between the large trees of its park. This wine bears the name of Constable Talbot, Earl 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 Médoc and Graves crus ordered by Emperor Napoleon III, Château Talbot was promoted to fourth grand cru classé of Saint-Julien. After having been the property of 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 up to the northern borders of the appellation, on the edge of Pauillac. Planted on a terroir of fine Günzian gravels on a limestone base with asterias, forming draining ridges, there is a majority of red vines (105 hectares) and a confidential area of white vines (5 hectares). The management of the vineyard is one of the most flawless 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 storage in the cellar. Over time, they develop a delicate and complex aromatic bouquet of cedar and Havana.

Tasting: 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. robertparker.com (30.11.2018)

Service: Serve at room temperature (16-18°C) to accompany a braised beef with maple syrup and balsamic vinegar.