Chateau Talbot 2020

DECANTER: "This is a great Talbot, a real success for the château. Subtle and deft touches throughout, from the smoked turmeric notes that lace the black fruits to the finessed aromatics that accompany the body of the wine. Balance and freshness, and a saline edge to the finish that is extremely moreish. Three years with Jean-Michel Laporte as director and he is doing great work."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, opaker Kern, zarte Randaufhellung. Feines Röstkaramell, schwarze Kirschen, Brombeerkonfit, ein Hauch von Nugat, attraktives Bukett. Stoffig, Brombeerkonfitüre, frischer Säurebogen, reife, tragende Tannine, mineralisch, elegant und anhaftend, zeigt Länge und Entwicklungspotenzial. (2028–2060)"

WINE SPECTATOR: "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."

JAMES SUCKLING: "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."

JEB DUNNUCK: "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."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Classy and classic, the wine pops with aromatics consisting of flowers, tobacco leaf, currants, spearmint and peppery blackberries. On the palate, the wine is medium/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 2 decades of pleasure. Things continue improving here under the direction of Jean-Michel Laporte. Drink from 2025-2050."

WEINWISSER: "Betörendes würziges Bouquet, Palisander und geröstete Haselnüsse, dahinter dunkle Schokolade und schwarzbeerige Konturen. Am kompakten Gaumen mit weicher Textur, nerviger Rasse, zarten blättrigen Noten im Untergrund, sehniger Körper. Im verkapselten Finale Wacholder sowie Estragon, gepaart mit einer Bittermandelnote."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2020 Talbot exhibits aromas of cassis and plums mingled with hints of clove, violets and toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, with a rich core of fruit, powdery tannins and lively acids, it's quite strongly marked by its élevage out of the gates, and it's an open question for me as to whether there's enough depth here to integrate the barrel program and reassert its Saint-Julien identity. On each of the three occasions I tasted it, it left me wanting more."