Château Talbot St Julien 1855 4ième Cru 2004

This captures so much about St Julien, with its balance, tobacco leaf, smoked earth, melted tannins, blond tobacco, blackberries and mint. It’s delicious, from a time when the yields would have been high, and in a year that struggled to reach full maturity, and yet has a balanced charm that shows why this appellation delivers drinkability even when it misses concentration. The smoke is far more evident when you come back to it after a few hours of tasting other wines, suggest not giving it too long in carafe before drinking. Christian Hostein cellar master, 50% new oak for ageing.