Château Talbot 1994

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Château Talbot 1994

Tasting

Colour
The wine displays a deep ruby hue, a sign of graceful evolution.

Nose
Mature and highly complex, the bouquet exudes rich tertiary aromas of dried black fruit such as blackcurrant, plum and fig. Subtle notes of leather, cedar, tobacco and graphite intertwine with spicy, earthy touches.

Palate
Medium- to full-bodied, the palate offers a particularly smooth texture and tannins of remarkable suppleness for the vintage. Indulgent flavours of dried fruit, mocha and dark chocolate extend into a lingering finish marked by cedar and a delicate minerality.

Food Pairing

This great red wine pairs beautifully with roast or braised meats such as rack of lamb or rib of beef. It is also a wonderful match for game in sauce and aged hard cheeses.

Serving and Ageing

Fully mature, this Château Talbot 1994 is perfect for drinking now. It is best served at around 17°C and should be gently decanted before serving if it shows slight reductive notes.

The Elegance and Complexity of a Saint-Julien Wine

The Estate

Classified as a Fourth Growth in 1855, Château Talbot is a benchmark estate in Bordeaux. While its name recalls a battle fought in 1453, the modern estate truly came into its own when it was acquired by Désiré Cordier in 1918. Today, Nancy Bignon-Cordier and her husband Jean-Paul Bignon run this vast vineyard, carrying on more than a century of family heritage. Renowned for the consistency and generosity of its wines, the estate also stands out for producing a rare white wine from the Médoc.

The Vineyard

A rarity on the Left Bank, the vineyard extends over 110 hectares in a single block surrounding the family residence, in the heart of the Saint-Julien appellation. Ideally located near the Gironde estuary, the vines thrive on gentle rises of alluvial gravel over a fossil-rich limestone subsoil. This exceptional terroir, which benefits from excellent natural drainage and a moderating microclimate, yields grapes of great concentration.

The Vintage

The 1994 growing season began with a mild winter, followed by a difficult spring marked by heavy rain and episodes of frost. After a stormy start to the summer, the weather improved markedly towards the end of the season. This late spell of fine weather allowed the berries to reach good ripeness and the harvest to take place in favourable conditions.

Winemaking and Ageing

Crafted with the guidance of renowned oenologists, Château Talbot 1994 benefits from carefully controlled extraction in vats, designed to preserve the suppleness of the tannins. The wine is then aged in oak barrels, which lend it its aromatic complexity and delicate oaky notes.

Grape Varieties

This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (67%), Merlot (27%), Petit Verdot (4.5%) and Cabernet Franc (1.5%).