CHÂTEAU TALBOT
2022 4ème Cru Classé Saint Julien
The 2022 Talbot is especially impressive, and if it fulfills all its promise, it is likely to emerge as this large Saint-Julien property's most exciting wine since the 1980s. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries, blackberries and cassis mingled with hints of violets and pencil lead, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit, rich structuring tannins and a long, lively finish. It's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot that's being matured in 60% new oak. Rating: 93-95 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
Ruby colour with violet reflections, vivid and intense, well sculpted, this is delicious, with texture and heart. There are clear depths to the nuanced blackberry and cassis fruits, great quality, with St Julien balance. One to follow over ageing, this is an impressive Talbot. 60% new oak for ageing. Drinking range: 2030 - 2048 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Apr 2023)
The 2022 Talbot was picked September 9-28 at 40hL/ha, slightly higher than other estates, matured in 60% new oak. Jean-Michel Laporte told me that he did a slightly longer maceration than in 2019 and 2020 during its 3.5 weeks cuvaison. It has a fragrant bouquet, well-defined with black cherries, cassis, iris and touches of brown spice. The palate is well balanced with fine weight and depth, the 13% vin de presse landing backbone. Detailed and focused, it has the same mineral spine as Gruaud Larose nearby. Quite long and lively with a tingle of white and black pepper on the finish. This is a delicious Talbot, but it is the one Saint-Julien that needs a little more depth in the middle. Nevertheless, it should age for many, many years and appeal to those seeking classicism in this vintage. Drinking range: 2027 - 2060 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2023)
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. 60% new oak. 13.5% alc. I started wanting more and ended up wanting more, and I really don’t like writing, ‘not bad’, in my tasting notes either. Admittedly, this is a reasonably plump wine, and the fruit is clean and accurate, but I feel that this wine should display much more expressive fruit, depth of flavour and detail. Perhaps I am being too harsh, but every 2022 wine has a chance to work its magic this year, and there is so much competition for the top scores, but this wine has seemingly sat on the bench while the others were scoring the goals. Rating: 17.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2023)
This is typically Talbot in its refined, seductive mode. This 2022 vintage shows more depth to the mid-palate and greater precision, whilst the finish is gloriously velvety. A great success for this estate. Rating: 95-96 La Revue du Vin de France (May 2023)
From Jean-Michel Laporte and team, this blend is led by 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It has a pointed and rather smoky start to the nose, with seams of liquorice, charcoal, toasted olive and black bean. The palate is delightfully fresh, polished and rich in sweet black fruits, charcoal and toast, blackberry and liquorice, with an undercurrent of finely grained tannin and a freshness from the acidity, leading to a harmonious and fading finish. This is a very good Talbot indeed, with lovely intention and balance. Another potentially wise buy within the appellation. The alcohol is 13.5%. Rating: 93-95 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (May 2023)
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Dark fruit with a stony, mineral edge. Touch of blackcurrant leaf on the palate. Juicy and fresh with a firm tannic frame. Builds on the finish. Classic St-Julien that should age well. (JL) 13.5% Drinking range: 2030 - 2045 Rating: 17+ James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
The tannins really are integrated and fill out across the palate. The texture is so beautiful and refined. Medium- to full-bodied and crunchy, with lovely texture and refinement. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
Château Talbot
St Julien Quatrième cru 1855
John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury was sent by King Henry VI to re-impose some English rule on this troublesome part of his Kingdom, but ended up being killed at the Battle of Castillon in 1453. Quite what connection he had with this particular bit of St Julien is unknown but, at least as far back as the 17th Century, the large estate in the centre of the appellation has been known as Château Talbot and it has generally been held that it was named for said John Talbot.
Désiré Cordier bought Talbot in 1917 and it is still in the hands of the Cordier family.
Sitting right in the middle of St Julien, surrounded by the great names of the appellation, and at 107ha of vineyard, Château Talbot is hard to miss. The vineyards are planted to 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Fermentation takes place in a combination of traditional wooden vats and modern stainless steel, with the Grand Vin spending 14 months in oak (50%-60% new).
There is a second wine named in honour of John Talbot, who's local title was Connétable Talbot.
With such big production and with an easy name to read and remember in the English-speaking market, Château Talbot has a healthy following and reliable reputation. It is a reputation that Talbot, by and large, lives up to with well-flavoured structured wines.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.