Château Talbot: Tasting & Drinking
What personal comments should I make on Château Talbot? There are certainly many who view the wines of this estate very favourably. I remember the tasting when I was first introduced to Talbot, when a good of mine, with a skilled palate, declared that Talbot was one of his favourite estates. He enjoyed the earthy goût de terroir it offered, a character which many would in fact attribute to Brettanomyces infection (maybe his palate was not that skilled after all?), which is widely accepted as being a frequent occurrence in the wines of Château Talbot. Personally, I too enjoyed the wines, and have enjoyed many other vintages since.
Having said that for many years there was an undeniably earthy element to Château Talbot which is perhaps related to the thread of Brettanomyces that runs through the wines. Initially I would only occasionally find it over the top, sufficient to ruin the experience, but I would say as the years rolled on, and I became more aware of Brettanomyces and its ability to detract, I found this side of Talbot less appealing. I came to the realisation that Brettanomyces was holding Talbot back from achieving the highest level of finesse, that which we see coming from other corners of this appellation.
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