The estate

4ème Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Julien

The estate

The 4th Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Julien (Médoc), Château Talbot’s vineyards extend over 110 hectares in a single block, within the outstanding Saint-Julien appellation.

Ideally situated on the banks of the Gironde estuary on hilltops of alluvial gravel carried by the Dordogne River from the Massif Central and from the Pyrenees by the Garonne, Château Talbot’s terroir is exceptional.

Cordier family

Désiré

Cordier

1861 — 1940

Georges

Cordier

1888 — 1938

Jean

Cordier

1925 — 1993

Lorraine

Cordier

1953 — 2011

Nancy

Bignon-Cordier

her husband Jean Paul and their children

Today

The history

From Connétable Talbot to the Cordier family.

From the plateau of Saint-Julien, one can spot Château Talbot in the distance in the midst of an ocean of vines, parks and tall trees.

The estate has a rich history. Its name originates with Connétable Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, governor of Guyenne as well as being a famous English military commander, who was defeated at the battle of Castillon in 1453.

In 1855, at the time of the Médoc and Graves growth classifications ordered by Emperor Napoleon III, Château Talbot was promoted as a fourth classified growth of Saint-Julien. For several decades it belonged to the Marquis of Aux and was the purchased in 1918 by Désiré Cordier.

A family story

From 1918 to the present day.

Read the anecdote

A family story

From 1918 to the present day.

At the dawn of the 20th century, Désiré Cordier confided in the pages of one of his notebooks, probably the most precious advice a man in love with the land and the vine can give to his children and future generations:

“As a simple wine grower who is passionately attached to his vines, it pleases me to convey the efforts undergone to obtain these essentially natural and famous wines, whose perfection and health benefits are a subject of legitimate pride to all of us. It is a well-known fact: to be and to remain the owner of a well-respected vineyard, one must be endowed with a real aristocracy that identifies itself with the vineyard and the wine. Everything must be sacrificed for this, beginning with private interests (…). To be a grand cru owner, you must in some way be in love with it.”

His son Georges and then his grandson, Jean, succeeded him as the head of the estate. Under their guidance, Talbot became one of the most famous growths in the Bordeaux region.

Following the death of Jean Cordier, his daughters Lorraine and Nancy, took over the reins of Talbot. Enriched with the still vivid memory of knowledge and experience of past generations which preceded them, Lorraine and Nancy worked together to do justice to this Grand Cru with all the talent and respect that it deserved.

Today Nancy Bignon Cordier, her husband Jean-Paul, their children Philippine, Marguerite and Gustave Bignon pursue the story of Talbot; a long history which has always united with passion the destiny of a family to that of a vineyard.

histoire famille talbot

The ‘French Paradox’ in Saint-Julien

President Lebrun visits Saint-Julien in 1934

Read the anecdote

The ‘French Paradox’ in Saint-Julien

President Lebrun visits Saint-Julien in 1934

Desire cordier, unequaled wine grower and visionary had already observed in 1934 the phenomenon of the “French Paradox”.

Owner, among others, of Chateau Talbot and Gruaud Larose, Désiré Cordier was the mayor of Saint-Julien since 1925. Very concerned with developing interest in the wines of the Gironde, he organized and presided on June 16, 1934, in front of the President of the Republic Albert Lebrun, three ministers and several deputies and senators, an exceptional festival: the festival of longevity.

Founder of a famous wine trading house, a great owner/wine-grower, he had, as one used to say, “the sense of advertising”, in other words, he was a marketing man, visionary and intuitive.

He observed (backed by statistics) that in Saint Julien in particular, and in Médoc in general, that life expectancy was higher than the national average. “It would be disrespectful to our national drink to ignore such a comparison in favor of our good wines. The arguments supported by the figures show that the Médoc, and more particularly Saint-Julien, is the country proper to octogenarians, which proves in the most conclusive way that wine – and by that meaning good wine is understood – is as I said, the elixir of long life! ”

This anticipated the opinion of many American, but also French, cardiologists who demonstrated that the polyphenols of great wines effectively contribute to the prolongation of good cardiovascular circulation, thereby reducing cardiac accidents.

The President’s Visit

Based on an irrefutable record, Désiré Cordier invited Albert Lebrun, President of the Third Republic, which was in fact the last, to come in person to appreciate the virtues of the great wines of the Medoc. The presidential train arrived at the station of Saint-Laurent-Saint-Julien, greeted of course with pomp and circumstance. An impressive service ensured the safety of the President and his entourage on the road between the train station and Saint-Julien.
A photograph from the time shows Désiré Cordier in a jacket, top hat in hand, his white mustache blowing in the wind at the head of the procession, alongside President Albert Lebrun, greeting elderly couples gathered in the village square of Saint-Julien.

president lebrun château talbot

Passer bys, greet Saint-Julien !

The Mayor Désiré Cordier installs signs at the village’s entrances.

Read the anecdote

The team

Behind a great wine, there are always women and men. The Château's passionate team is committed all year round to faithfully express Talbot's terroir.

Nancy Bignon-Cordier has surrounded herself with collaborators rich in expertise.

Jean-Michel Laporte has been the property’s general manager since 2018. He supervises a team of around forty people.

At his side, Damien Hostein oversees the vineyard as estate manager. He grew up on the estate and knows every plot.

Jean-Max Drouilhet is the wine production manager. Since 2007, he has been guiding and refining Talbot’s wines with talent and precision.

Jean-Michel Laporte

General Manager of the property

Damien Hostein

Estate manager

Jean-Max Drouilhet

Wine Production Manager