Winemaker and vineyard: It is on the plateau of Saint-Julien that we see from afar Château Talbot, in the middle of an ocean of vines, between the large trees of its park. This vintage is named after the Constable Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, a famous English warrior and governor of Guyenne, defeated at the Battle of Castillon in 1453. In 1855, during the classification of the Médoc and Graves vintages ordered by Emperor Napoleon III, Château Talbot was promoted to fourth grand cru classé de Saint-Julien. After being 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 to the northern borders of the appellation, at the limit of Pauillac. Planted on a terroir of fine Günzian gravels on a base of asteriated limestone, forming draining slopes, there is a majority of red vines (105 hectares) and a confidential area of white vines (5 hectares). The maintenance of the vineyard is one of the most irreproachable in the Médoc. The wines, supervised by Nancy Bignon-Cordier with the valuable 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 aging in the cellar. Over time, they develop a delicate and complex aromatic bouquet of cedar and Havana.

Tasting: "This is the most impressive Talbot since the 1982 and 1986. It reveals an opaque plum/garnet/purple color as well as knock-out aromas of black fruits, cedar, incense, licorice, and a Provencal garrigue-like character. Substantial, sexy, and seductive, it is almost slutty in its exuberance and ostentatiousness. It was a thrill to drink this loaded St.-Julien. It should offer irresistible drinking over the next 20-25 years. (Tasted two times.)" robertparker.com (27.04.2010)

Service: Serve at room temperature (16-18°C) with a shallot rib steak.