Chateau Talbot   Chateau Talbot

2002 Chateau Talbot

By Chateau Talbot

2002 Chateau Talbot from Chateau Talbot, St-Julien, Bordeaux

As the esteemed wine community knows well, the 2002 vintage in Bordeaux presented numerous challenges, with a growing season marked by variability and capricious weather. Yet, amidst these trials, there emerged successes that only the astute vintner could craft—among them, the 2002 Chateau Talbot from Chateau Talbot stands out for its resilience and charm.

 

The Savoir-Faire Behind the Vintage

In St-Julien, a subregion renowned for producing structured and meritorious wines, Chateau Talbot displayed a masterful understanding of its terroir in 2002. Despite an uncertain climatic opening act—a cool and wet spring—followed by an uneven summer, September salvaged the season with warmth and wind. The weather's whims necessitated vigilance and precise timing; qualities to which Chateau Talbot duly adhered.

Consequently, the 2002 Chateau Talbot emerged as a sterling example of this estate's consistent excellence. It exhibits a bouquet replete with cedarwood and tobacco nuances, underscored by an earthy gravitas that is quintessentially St-Julien. Its palate offers a balance between tannic structure and the ripe blackcurrant notes beloved in Bordeaux blends. While some vintages beam with premature expressiveness, the 2002 Chateau Talbot has unfurled gracefully, reaching a harmonious maturity.

 

An Investment in Graceful Maturation

For aficionados pondering wine investments, vintages such as the 2002 from esteemed producers like Chateau Talbot provide intrigue. Their capacity to transcend expectations makes them worthy of contemplation for portfolios seeking diversification. Embodying the fortitude of its vintage year yet blooming with time-honoured savoir-faire, this wine is indeed a poignant reflection of St-Julien's indomitable spirit.

In summation, while many might overlook a Bordeaux from a year like 2002 in search of more celebrated vintages, to do so would be to ignore gems like the 2002 Chateau Talbot which encapsulates both the challenges and triumphs of winemaking. A curious confluence of nature's caprice and winemaker prowess have endowed it with a quietus of complex aromas and well-judged maturation potential that speaks to those with a discerning palate and an eye for investment.

Current market price

$1,010.00

12x75cl

Highest score

78

POP score

N/A

Scores and tasting notes

78

Tasted three separate times from bottle, the 2002 Talbot has proved to be a major disappointment and far below what I had predicted from cask tastings – shame on me. Medium-bodied with a plum/ruby color, herbaceous, even vegetal, aromas intermixed with sweet cherries and washed-out currants, it is thin, meek, austere, and shallow. Drink it over the next 6-8 years.

Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 28 April 2005

Vintage performance