Château Calon-Ségur, Saint-Estèphe Red, 750ml, Bordeaux, France
The Terroir
Calon Ségur is unique since its terroir resembles no other. Read: Terroir
The Owners
Historians have identified the successive owners of Calon since the 12th century, with the Gascq, Ségur, Dumoulin, Lestapis and Gasqueton families being among the most recent and best known.
In 2012, the Gasqueton family sold Château Calon Ségur and Château Capbern to Suravenir, a subsidiary of the Crédit Mutuel Arkéa group. Jean-Pierre Denis, its chairman, formed a partnership with Jean-François Moueix and his son Jean, the owners of the Videlot group. Together they have conducted renovation works worthy of Calon’s prestigious heritage.The Heart
“I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon” . Read the complete story at: the heart
The Project
The owners undertook large-scale renovation works that respected both the place and its soul. Since 2012, a renaissance has been felt everywhere: in the vines, in the cellars, inside the Chartreuse and in its gardens. Read the whole story at: The Project
The Wine
The Grand Vin of Calon Ségur mirrors its terroir. It is rare, authentic and stirs the soul. In the most natural way, it reveals both great delicacy and outstanding intensity. All the magic of Calon is in this balance. The wine is aged in new oak barrels for 20 months, the tannins of the oak integrating harmoniously over time with the tannins of the grapes. The style is brought by a Cabernet Sauvignon which expresses its finesse without arrogance. Elegance is to be found everywhere, in the purity of the wine’s flavours, in the delicacy of its texture, while its depth and length are also superb. The wine’s extraordinary ability to age many years in bottle is another feature of the estate. The 1947, 1953 and 1982 vintages, by way of example, still display astonishing signs of youth.
CONSULTANT ŒNOLOGIST: Éric Boissenot.
SOIL: A thick layer of gravel laid down during the Quaternary Period. Predominantly clay
sub-soil from the Tertiary Period. At the summit of the gravel deposits, there is also
a fine layer of clay of lacustrine origin.
VINEYARD AREA: 55 ha (136 acres).
AREA IN PRODUCTION: 45 ha (50 ha planted).
GRAPE VARIETIES: 57% Cabernet sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet franc, 2% petit Verdot.
AVERAGE AGE OF THE VINES:20 years.TRAINING METHOD: Double Guyot.
PLANTING DENSITY: 8,000 vines/ha.
HARVEST: Hand picking. A first selection of grapes on the vine. Mechanical sorting of the grapes by vibration, followed by hand sorting.
VINIFICATION: Temperature-controlled tronconical stainless-steel tanks. Vatting period for 18 to 21 days. Microbubbling. Co-inoculation, exogenous yeast and bacterias, in stainless steel tank at 25°C.
AGEING: 20 months, 100% new barrels. Fining with egg white.
Country of Origin:
France
Region / Appelation / Cru:
Bordeaux / Saint-Estèphe.
Certification:
AOC (Appellation D'Origine Controlee). 1855 Classification Grand Cru Classe: Third-Growths / Troisièmes Crus
Calon Ségur figures in the 1855 classification as a Third Classified Growth. This ranking of the wines of Gironde, both red and white, was established in anticipation of the 1855 Universal Exhibition, during the reign of Napoléon III. The list was drawn up by the Bordeaux wine brokers at the request of the Gironde Chamber of Commerce.
The ranking was based on the growths’ reputation and the prices at which the wines were purchased at that time.
This unchanging classification only ranks the growths of Bordeaux’s Left Bank, the Graves and Sauternes.Grape Varieties:
57% Cabernet sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet franc, 2% petit Verdot.
2020 Vintage: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Alcohol:
Vintage 2019: 14.5%
Vintage 2020: 13.5%
Vintage 2022: 14.5%
Producer:
Château Calon-Ségur
Ratings:
Vintage 2019:
James Suckling: 96pts:
Sweet cherries and berries with some walnuts and dried flowers, as well as notes of crushed stone, pine, currants and violets. Full-bodied and building gradually on the palate, with intense, polished tannins that are layered throughout the wine, providing well-toned muscle. The finish lasts for minutes. Quintessential Calon. Needs time to soften. Try after 2027.
by James Suckling, JS, 2022.
Vinous Media: 98pts:
The 2019 Calon Segur is a wine of soaring vertical intensity and pure power. That's the good news. The not so good news is that it won't be ready to drink any time soon. Exotic spice, pencil shavings, creme de cassis, mocha and licorice are some of the nuances that develop in the glass, but those descriptions can't even begin to capture the sheer beauty of what is in the glass. I loved the 2019 from barrel and I love it just as much from bottle.
by Vinous Media, AG, 2022.
Wine Enthusiast: 98pts:
This estate continues its stately quality progress with a vintage that brings out great richness as well as a serious, structured side. The blueberry flavors are shot through with tannins that contrasts with the wine's succulent fruitiness. As the wine matures, that fruit will shape the wine's future as much as the tannins
Wine Spectator: 96pts:
Really packed, with dark currant, warmed fig compote and steeped blackberry notes tumbling together, harnessed by a bolt of cast iron. Delivers singed cedar, bay leaf and tobacco accents as well as a late tug of warm earth in the background, ending with a throwback feel. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040.
JM by Wine Spectator, JM, 2022.
Wines Advocate: 93pts:
Vincent Millet (who can boast a doctorate in wine microbiology and who took up his post as Calon's technical director after a stint at ChÃteau Margaux) is doing everything right in terms of restructuring the estate's somewhat neglected vineyards with massal selections, higher density plantings, cover crops and precision viticulture. He's also cleaned up and modernized the winery. The 2019 Calon-Segur shows the impact of some of those changes already, offering up a rich bouquet of creme de cassis, licorice, warm spices and subtle hints of cigar box, followed by a full-bodied, broad and fleshy palate that's deep and concentrated, with lively acids and beautifully refined tannins. All this is very impressive, but the fly in the ointment is an alcohol level that flirts with 15% and makes itself felt on the warm, liqueured finish. Balance isn't a matter of mere numbers, of course, but despite its admirable qualities and the serious work behind it, I do have reservations about this wine's ultimate equilibrium. Time will tell. The good news is that Millet is actively exploring viticultural strategies to mitigate high alcohol levels.
by Wine Advocate, WK, 2022
Vintage 2020
Jeb Dunnuck: 99pts:
The 2020 Chateau Calon Segur is pure gold and another masterpiece from this estate. Harvested all in September and pulled from their 48 hectares of vines, the blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot that spent 20 months all in new French oak, and it hit 13.2% natural alcohol. My notes started and ended with "wow," and this riveting Saint-Estephe offers a heavenly bouquet of red and black currants, truffly earth, iron, espresso, and tobacco leaf.
by Jeb Dunnuck, JD, 2023.
James Suckling: 96pts:
Blueberries, blackberries, spearmint, currants and sweet spices on the nose. Mocha and walnuts, too. Lots of flavor here, with a medium to full body and muscular yet velvety tannins that melt seamlessly into the wine. Long, polished and delicious already. Keeps going.
by James Suckling, JS, 2023
Wine Enthusiast: 97pts;
This wine has a touch of spice to go with its powerful black currant flavors. It is concentrated, and the 78% Cabernet Sauvignon gives great structure and power. The wine has immense aging potential.
by Wine Enthusiast, RV, 2023.
Wines Spectator: 99pts
This is among the more backward wines of the vintage, showing a slightly burly mix of chestnut, warm paving stone, bay leaf and burnished leather notes amid a densely packed core of black currant and bitter plum reduction. Really riveted, with a warm cast iron spine and a mouthwatering savory edge driving the finish. Lovely character in this wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
by Wine Spectator, JM, 2022
Vinous Media: 96pts:
The 2020 Calon Segur is a powerhouse. A blast of dark cherry fruit, menthol, tar, licorice and gravel infuse the 2020 with remarkable depth. Sumptuous and full-bodied, the 2020 shows all the richness and textural depth of the year. The tannins are imposing, but there's a good deal of fruit too. This is an especially opulent Grand Vin, in line with vintages like 2018 stylistically, but with 1% less alcohol.
by Vinous Media, AG, 2022
Wine Advocate: 97pts;:
The 2020 Calon-Segur is a brilliant wine from an estate in the ascendant. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, red berries, fresh mint, pencil shavings, violets and rose petals, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a vibrant core of fruit, powdery structuring tannins and a long, perfumed finish. Integrated and harmonious, this pure, concentrated and dynamic wine is one of the finest vintages that Vincent Millet and his team have produced to date.
by Wine Advocate, WK, 2023.
Vintage 2022:
James Suckling: 95-96pts;
Vinous Media: 94-96pts:
Wine Advocate: 96-98pts:
Food Pairing:
Vintage Tasting Notes:
2019 Vintage Notes :
The vintage 2019 was born under favorable auspices. The dry and warm summer conditions remind us of the Great Vintage 2018. The hydric pressure allowed us to reach remarkable levels of maturity on each one of our varieties. With an exceptional sanitary state, the merlots were collected from September 24th to 28th and the entirety of Cabernets, Sauvignon and Franc as well as the Petit Verdot between September 30th and
October 9th.2020 Vintage Notes:
2022 Vintage Notes :