Chateau Talbot 2001 (review)

88 points.

St Julien, Bordeaux, France.

Talbot doesn't have a reputation as a great value wine, but rather as affordable serious claret. It's not one of the high flyers nor premium old names, but it is an old name. New owners since Cordier (who seem to have sold off their stable) seem very serious.

It's a curious wine. Fine oak handling - giving just a hint of warmth and well oak flavour (not vanilla or other cosmetic flavours). Good breeding. Flavours that are strong, some really savoury and ripe, and some hard/green. Victorian claret. And yet very soft tannin. So sort of approachable, and yet confronting.

Anne rated this wine even higher. I suspect it will benefit from some (3-5) years of age and turn into a very classical savoury claret, but maybe there is no need to wait. It is a somewhat curious wine, not what I expected from Talbot.