Château Talbot, 4ème Cru Classé, St Julien, 2025
In our opinion, St Julien was the most consistent appellation in the Medoc with many excellent wines. Where chateaux have got it right, there's a gorgeous core of fragrant fruit allied to modest alcohols and a real sense of tension and balance. Talbot was another pleasant surprise. Opening with a glorious bouquet of sandalwood, pencil shavings and cut flowers, this segues neatly to a sleek core of bramble fruit, leafy cassis and plum with suggestions of tobacco, graphite and turned earth. This is a very solid effort, full of charm and concentrated berry fruit with finely integrated tannins. Bravo.
critic reviews
The 2025 Talbot contains the highest ever Petit Verdot (9%) this year due to more generous yields. Picked from September 5 to 22, a little quicker than expected as Laporte spotted some botrytis, at 28 hl/ha, this is matured in 60% new oak barrels. It has a generous bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit intermixed with mocha and light undergrowth scents, typical Talbot. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, well judged acidity, satisfying weight and density on the mid-palate that had been lacking in vintages past. A little more grip on the grainy-textured finish, lightly spiced with a hint of powdered chocolate, if you seek a classic Saint-Julien and, it must be said, often at a reasonable price, then look no further.
Bright and harmonious, the 2025 Talbot wafts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, violet, cassis, dark cherries and spice, framed by well-integrated oak. Medium- to full-bodied, it’s concentrated and dense, built around a massive core of fruit framed by structured, youthful tannins and concludes with a somewhat firm, gently bitter finish. It's a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot.
The 2025 Talbot is a huge, potent wine. Blackberry, gravel, incense, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and dark spice soar out of the glass. Huge swaths of tannin frame it all effortlessly. Talbot is a beast in 2025. It needs time to settle down.