Chateau Talbot St. Julien 2014 - 750ml

94pts James Suckling

The smoky oak, full body and chunky tannins make a bold statement; indeed, the wine has plenty of flesh and packs a big tannic punch on the finish. Best Talbot in years. Drink in 2023.

94pts Wine Enthusiast

This wine is structured with plenty of supple tannins as well as fruit notes that are both ripe and freshly juicy. The texture highlights the dusty tannins at their best. Barrel Sample: 92-94

92pts Wine Spectator

This has melded together nicely already, with a core of gently steeped plum, blackberry and anise flavors intertwined with light licorice snap and roasted apple wood notes. Focused and solid, but with a charming supple edge. Best from 2020 through 2030.

90+pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2014 Talbot felt reticent and tightly knit on the nose, so I placed my glass to one side and allowed it to aerate for 15-20 minutes. This paid dividends as it revealed blackcurrant, smoke and tobacco aromas, hints of boysenberry with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite structure and perhaps needing more flow. It feels a little rigid at the moment and I would want more persistence and depth on the finish. Let's see how this ages in bottle, because it certainly showed improvement between samples in October 2016 and February 2017.

90pts Wilfred Wong

Whenever I envision the word, "claret," I often think of Château Talbot. The 2014 vintage is a beautifully appointed wine. Exhibiting red fruits and angular palate, this wine shows up bright and sassy on the palate. Its perky finish pairs it nicely with lighter meats. (Tasted: January 27, 2017, San Francisco, CA)

90pts Jeb Dunnuck

Cut from the same cloth as the 2015, just more classic in style, the 2014 Château Talbot offers lots of black fruits, smoked herbs, graphite and a touch of lead pencil on the nose. This is followed by a classically styled, medium-bodied, dense, impressively concentrated 2014 that has another 10-15 years of prime drinking. This is always a well-made, classic Saint-Julien and readers can’t go wrong here.

Winemaker Notes

Blend: 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot