2008 Talbot
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Tasting notes
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Volume of Merlot reduced by coulure. Pale garnet with a touch of brick. Lightly fragrant but more on the leafy, green side. Light and easy-going on the palate – more a luncheon claret. Less tannic presence so accessible and unlikely to evolve much further. Lacks a bit of excitement but fresh. Better to drink now. (JL)
Critic scores
Average Score
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Edgy, rather briary fruit. Lots of tannin in the back but the fruit in the foreground is not the purest. Falls away a little. But certainly not disastrous! (JR)
The 2008 Talbot is just beginning to show the first signs of ageing on the rim. The bouquet is charming with perfumed blackcurrant, cedar and sage aromas, a splash of Indian ink developing with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin that lend this Talbot a smooth texture. There is lactic, an almost chocolaty element to this Talbot that possibly originates from the oak treatment that slightly compromises the terroir expression. It is built in a traditional style, not a deep or powerful Saint Julien but it delivers satisfying freshness with a dash of spice on the finish. You could drink this now although personally I would afford this another couple of years in bottle. (Tasted at BI Wine & Spirit’s annual 10-Year On tasting.)
Perfumed. Neat and solid and nothing to complain about. Just not desperately exciting. (JR)
About the producer
Quality has not necessarily always lived up to this property’s Fourth Growth status, however there have been significant improvements in recent years, with a sustainable focus in the vineyard, and new winery and cellar.