The wine is rich, finely balanced with layers of black fruits. Underlying tannins promise well. It is already dense, with great acidity and structure to propel the wine forward.

The aromas of blackcurrants and dried flowers with fresh herbs like basil and rosemary are extremely attractive. Medium- to full-bodied, this has firm and velvety tannins with a tension and focus that I have not seen for a while. Long and chewy finish. Solid.

This delivers an energetic tumble of blackberry, boysenberry and black currant paste flavors injected with bramble and apple wood and supported by a licorice snap accent. The strapping finish is laced with violet and iris notes, while a cast iron edge lends bass. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

The 2022 Talbot was bottled in May. Estate Director Jean-Michel Laporte commented that he sees it as a combination of 2018, 2019 and 2020, though better than those vintages. The 2022 has a tightly knit bouquet, crisp and clean, a little cooler" in style than I recall and I mean that in a positive way. It neatly shrugs off the warmth of that growing season. There's wonderful purity of fruit here, tinged with tobacco and light chimney soot scents. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit- a quintessential Talbot, with a little more horsepower than recent vintages but fine precision and structure on the finish. I appreciate the finesse of the tannins and the weight throughout this Saint-Julien."

The 2022 Talbot has turned out nicely in bottle, bursting with aromas of cherries, berries, orange zest and petals, framed by a touch of toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a rich core of fruit, ripe tannins and a long, cigar-inflected finish, it's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot that matured in 60% new oak.