Château Talbot 2020

Exuberant, with generous plum sauce, licorice root, blackberry compote and apple wood notes vying for attention, as graphite and cast iron accents drive along underneath. Reveals a little flash of exotic toast that snazzes up the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2030 through 2040. 18,000 cases made, 1,400 cases imported.

The long and polished 2020 Talbot leads with great fragrance, followed by black fruit notes and even a hint of tar. Overall, it is less muscular, yet still concentrated, and more refined than the densely paced 2018, conveying a classic St-Julien temperament. Its suaveness makes it surprisingly approachable even now. The energy and refinement of 2020, like 2019, make one wonder whether Laporte consciously turned down the volume after the massive 2018.

Focused and composed with notes of currants, truffles, dried leaves, dark chocolate and graphite. It’s full-bodied, with firm, fine tannins giving sturdy support throughout. Savory and austere at the moment. Needs some time to open up. Try after 2026.

Full bottle 1,350 g. Cask sample taken 2 April. 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Aged in barrel, 60% new. Dark crimson. Savoury, saline nose. Luscious palate entry with ripe fruit that almost smothers the tannin. A very good effort from Talbot with velvety tannins in profusion and some winning perfume too. This is doing well under ex-Conseillante Jean-Michel Laporte. (JR)

The first bottle of 2020 Talbot was corked. The second has a refined and focused bouquet, with more black fruit than its peers. Cedar and light minty notes impart a Pauillac-like personality. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine delineation, lovely poise and a sorbet-fresh, high-toned finish. This appears to have improved since I tasted it just after bottling, hence the higher score. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Classy and classic, the wine opens with aromatics of flowers, tobacco leaf, currants, spearmint, and peppery blackberries. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, lively, and loaded with layers of sweet, juicy, fresh black and red currants, savory herbs, wet earth, and dark cocoa. Give it just a few years in the bottle and it will offer over two decades of pleasure. Things continue improving here under the direction of Jean-Michel Laporte. Drink from 2025-2050.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, opaque core, delicate rim brightening. Fine toasted caramel, black cherries, blackberry confit, a hint of nougat, attractive bouquet. Substantial, blackberry confit, fresh acid arc, ripe, supporting tannins, mineral, elegant and clinging, shows length and has certain ageing potential. (2028-2060).

Pure nose, high ripeness, rather sweet fruit with some herbal spiciness, bay leaf and sage. Supple and ample texture, finely polished, elegant and persistent.

Another gorgeous 2020, the 2020 Château Talbot has an almost Pauillac-like sense of graphite and lead pencil as well as ripe blackcurrant fruit, medium to full body, and abundant notes of smoked tobacco, leather, and dried herbs. It shows the more focused, almost austere, yet still ripe style of the vintage and has terrific mid-palate depth, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. There's an almost old school Bordeaux-like vibe in this beauty, but it's not rustic in any way, the balance is spot on, and it has loads of character. I'd be thrilled with bottles in the cellar. It's going to evolve nicely for two decades or more.

Beguiling spicy bouquet, rosewood and roasted hazelnuts, with dark chocolate and black-berried contours in the background. On the compact palate with a soft texture, lively verve, delicate leafy notes underneath, sinewy body. In the encapsulated finish, juniper and tarragon, paired with a bitter almond note.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: spicy, herbal, peppery bouquet, cassis, blackberries, cedar, tobacco, currants. Velvety, powerful, and aromatic palate with good fruit, fine sandy tannins, bold spicy aromatics, muscular structure, long, slightly bitter finish. Has room to improve.

Spicy, herbal, peppery bouquet, cassis, blackberries, cedar, tobacco, currants. Velvety, powerful, aromatic palate with good fruit, fine sandy tannins, strong spicy aromatics, muscular structure, long, slightly bitter finish. Can improve further. 17/20 2027 - 2042

Coffee bean and smoked tobacco edging as I found with the Connetable 2020, followed by precision-cut black cherry and cassis fruits. Great balance, gunsmoke and tomato leaf, an excellent follow-up to the 2019, reflecting the intense work happening in the vineyard at this point. As you sit with this, the generosity of the first moments takes a back seat to the grip and savory St-Julien balance; take your time and enjoy the crayon and slate on the finish. 60% new oak for ageing, Jean-Michel Laporte director.

The 2020 Talbot has a deep garnet-purple color. It sings of black cherries, fresh red and black plums, and blackcurrant preserves, followed by hints of spice cake, wild thyme, and cedar chest. The medium-bodied palate is chewy and refreshing, with just enough bright fruit and a lifted finish.

A confidently welcoming nose, with lovely aromas of coffee, red and purple fruit picked straight from the tree, and a hint of dahlia. This is an exceptional Talbot, with a taffeta-like texture, richly layered notes of dark chocolate, a saline edge, and such length and chew that it could almost be a meal on its own!

Dark, intense, and vibrant colour. Very aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Overall suave. A particularly pleasant palate, evolving with a caressing, flavourful feel on a velvety body. A fragrant finish with no tannic edges.

Talbot 2020 picks up speed on concentrated, well-defined fruit, with clarity and drive. With its sleekly sculpted substance, the wine stays well “in its lane,” rather straight, focused on extension and length, supported by a fine tannic structure and finishing with lovely freshness. It’s clean and dynamic.

Talbot 2020 unfolds in crescendo, highlighting how beneficial aeration is for a young wine. It first reveals roasted notes, quickly followed by aromas of blackcurrant and eucalyptus, then the classic hints of cedar and graphite. The latter two speak to the terroir, which asserts itself clearly. Lovely complexity on the palate, where the wine shows sweetness, power, and energy. Its dense, fine-grained tannins follow a touch of sweetness on the attack. Thanks to its structuring acidity, the wine shines with freshness and length. Add depth and precision, and everything comes together to underscore the greatness of Château Talbot 2020. A thrilling, brilliant, convincing wine!

94–96. Barrel Sample. A great success from this estate, the wine has bold tannins and richly, concentrated fruit. Its blackberry flavors mingle with the dry core, promising some serious aging.