The Cháteau Talbot in the Saint-Julien appellation has medieval roots and goes back to an English general. It has been owned by the Cordier family for over 100 years. Today it is run by Nancy Bignon Cordier, her husband Jean-Paul and their children Philippine, Marguerite and Gustave Bignon.
Classified as a Quatrième Grand Cru Classé, the estate has 110 hectares of contiguous vineyards stretching north to the border with Paulliac. The vines are planted on well-drained gravel knolls with a subsoil of fossilised limestone. 105 hectares are planted with red varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (66 %), Merlot (30 %) and Petit Verdot (4 %). The rest is divided between Sauvignon Blanc (80 %) and Sémillon (20 %).
Nancy Bignon-Cordier's team is supported by top oenologists Eric Boissenot and Stéphane Derenoncourt. She describes the basic profile of her wines as "rich and extremely elegant at the same time. The soft flavour and silky tannins allow the wines to be drunk both young and after prolonged ageing. Over time, they develop a fine, complex, aromatic bouquet with notes of cedar wood and Havana tobacco."
Harvesting and selection are done by hand. Both barrels and stainless steel tanks are used for the fermentation process, tailored to the grapes from each individual parcel. The ageing cellar, which was renovated in 2012, also shines with its eccentric architecture, designed by the Bordelais firm "Nairac et Vacheyrout". A "forest of concrete trees" stands on 1,500 square metres, supporting the seven-metre-high ceiling. The wine rests here for 18 months in no less than 1,800 barrels. The exact duration, the choice of wood and the speed of decanting are determined anew for each batch with each vintage.
© Photos: Château Talbot
