Wine Enthusiast:  Rated as Excellent, extremely well made and highly recommended.  "Barrel sample. Huge black currant flavors, very ripe fruit, but also a great sense of balance, of proportion that give this wine both charm and impressiveness. It's going to age seriously, and well."  Jun 2006

Robert Parker, Jr. - Wine Advocate:  Commented upon the 2005 overall vintage in Bordeaux: "2005 is the finest vintage for these wines since 1982. Given the style of the vintage, most of these wines should be accessible young yet evolve for a decade or more because of their concentration and tannic structure. I have never tasted so many extraordinarily rich, concentrated, massive wines so high in tannin and extract, yet with such precision, definition, and freshness. It is clearly a singular vintage that should evolve into one of the great vintages of Bordeaux."

Winery:   "Undeniably, Talbot is one of the most famous Médoc wines. This fine reputation is no doubt due to a mysterious combination of factors, such as the size of its vineyard, nearly one hundred hectares, and the regularity of its wine. Nearly a century in the same family, the name Talbot is concise and hard-hitting, easy to pronounce in all languages and a part of our history… However, the first thing that makes Talbot popular is the wonderful nature of its wine.  ‘For many, Talbot embodies the ideal Saint Julien, a generous bouquet, extremely stable and dependable during aging,’ emphasize Bettane and Desseauve in their Guide to French Wines.  It’s true. A champion of longevity, even when young Talbot is pleasant and rounded, ever distinguished by silky, mild and very civilized tannins. Talbot possesses an extroverted nature. It’s never withdrawn into itself, and has the courtesy of being in a good mood every day. It’s a racy wine, with complex marks of Havana and licorice, classically delicious without ever the slightest hint of austerity."

Wired For Wine:  From the stunning 2005 Bordeaux vintage, the Château Talbot Grand Cru Classé Saint-Julien lives up to the richesse of that remarkable year not only with its huge, ripe fruit, but with stellar balance and plenty of sweet tannin.  Its medium to full body will delight with lamb and meat dishes, especially beef.  Pour your first glass and enjoy it with a hearty Tuscan chicken liver paté on rustic toast.  We love this rich, beautifully defined Grand Cru Classé and its earthy tobacco nuances with a roast leg of lamb served with a broccoli rabe gratinée.  Formidable!  A lighter alternative would be a garganelli pasta with fresh lamb sausage, zucchini and tomato.  One of our favorite, less classical beef choices with the Château Talbot is a big platter of sticky bbq beef ribs.  The sweet, tangy sauce on the ribs brings out the concentrated fruit in this Saint-Julien for an ideal combination.  It is perfectly acceptable to end the meal savoring another glass or two of the silky sweetness of the Talbot's texture and tannins all by itself.  If you have room left, however, we suggest a woodsy French Banon goat cheese.  Oh la la baby!

Size:         750ml
Varietal:   Bordeaux blend
Alcohol:   13%  
Region:   Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France