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2022 Château Calon-Ségur En Primeur

"A wine that's going to flirt with perfection...97-99 points" Jebdunnuck.com

Released for sale en primeur, 2022 Château Calon Ségur is offered on allocation, at the opening price of £610 per six bottles.  Please enquire.

 

Bordeaux En Primeur, landing in spring 2025.

To order, e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk

 

Château Calon-Ségur

Producer Profile

Château Calon-Ségur

Château Calon-Ségur is a troisièmes cru classé estate in St-Estéphe and is the northernmost of all the cru classé estates.  

Calon dates back to the Gallo-Roman era. Its name comes from “calones”, which referred to small crafts navigating on the Gironde’s estuary.  Wine production can be traced back to the 12th century, but it was in the 18th century, with the Marquis Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur, also owner of Latour, Lafite and Mouton, that the name came to prominence.

The Marquis de Ségur and son of Alexandre expanded his family estates with the acquisition of Mouton. At this point in time, with the exception of Château Margaux, all the future first growths of the Médoc were now in his ownership.  Louis XV nicknamed him the Prince of Vines. In an early nod to the importance of terroir, each button of his jacket was a pebble from his vineyard.

Despite his embarrassment of First Growth estates, Ségur placed Calon foremost in his affections:  "I make wine at Lafite and at Latour, but my heart is at Calon". In the nineteenth century, his words were commemorated by the engraving of a heart in the stonework of the château, later becoming an emblem on the label.

Calon and it’s next-door neighbour Capbern were owned by the aristocratic Gasqueton family until 2012, when the Suravenir insurance company purchased them.  The château and estate have been extensively renovated and the wine has shot up through the ranks, now nearing in quality the First Growth estates which were once owned by Ségur. The estate has been managed by Vincent Millet since 2006.

Calon’s terroir is unique.  The highest point is only 13 metres of but the sharp relief of its slopes allows for good drainage.  Deep gravel layers deposited by the river during the quaternary era cover a largely clay sub-soil.  The top-soil is made up of a thin layer of clay of lacustrine origin.  This combination of gravels and clay, among other factors, explains the power and finesse of the wine.

The vineyard is formed by three gravel outcrops that protrude towards the estuary.

Éric Boissenot is the consultant. The 55 ha estate is planted with 50 ha of vines: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2 % Petit Verdot, averaging 21 years of age, at density of 8,000 vines/ha, yielding an average of 45hl/ha.  The wine is aged for 18 to 20 months in 100% new barrels.  Around 80,000 bottles are produced.

 

RED 2022 Château Calon Ségur 75cl £610 per case of 6 Château Calon Ségur
2022 / / 75cl
£610 per case of 6
IB
Tasting Notes"I tasted the 2022 Calon Ségur two times during my recent trip to Bordeaux. On both occasions it was forbiddingly tannic, much moreso than most wines of the year. Dark-toned fruit, gravel, cured meat, leather, spice and tobacco lend intensity, but the incisive nature of the tannins never settles down. Perhaps élevage will help. We will see. My impression is that the property really struggles in excessively hot years. 91-93 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"This is powerful, underlining how much last year's more softly sculpted wine was a departure from recent vintages of Calon, and back in my mind to the complicated 2018 vintage, where it was overly marked by the heat of the vintage. This is full on concentrated fruit, with strong tannins that build through the palate. Plenty of complexity with black truffles, cassis, olive paste, sandalwood and fresh mint on the finish, along with cloves and cinnammon spice. 3.8ph, 100% new oak, 26hl/h yields. 53% Grand Vin, higher than usual. Vincent Millet technical director. Harvest September 6 to 27. 94 points" janeanson.com------"The 2022 Calon-Ségur was cropped at 26hL/ha compared to 36hL/ha last year. Matured for 20 months in new oak, it has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and subtle tobacco scents. The 2022 is tight at first but opens with aeration (winemaker Vincent Millet remarked how the wine was much more expressive the week I tasted it in mid-April compared to the previous week). The palate is classically styled with impressive mid-palate depth. With strict tannins and multi-layered graphite-infused black fruit, this is reminiscent of some postwar Calon-Ségur's I have tasted. I wonder if slightly less vin de presse would have been better? Uncompromising, perhaps that might be its virtue, but it means that patience will be required. 2027-2055 94-96 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"A very juicy red with redcurrant and creme de cassis as well as hints of nutmeg and cloves. It's full and polished with very pretty tannins that show length and focus. Traditional and typical for Calon with the tannin structure. A little closed today. But serious structure. 95-96 points" jamessuckling.com------"The 2022 Calon-Ségur is another superb wine from this historic Saint-Estèphe third growth that began a comprehensive renaissance the better part of a decade ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with hints of fresh mint, burning embers, licorice and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, saline finish. The blend consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Vincent Millet observed that "when you tasted the Merlot, you were under the impression that you were tasting Cabernet. 96-98 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"A wine that's going to flirt with perfection, the 2022 Château Calon Ségur is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, harvested between September 12 and 26, from yields of 40 hectoliters per hectare. Its deep purple hue is followed by a heavenly bouquet of cassis, smoke tobacco, flowery incense, and toasted spices. This ripe, sexy, full-bodied beauty has ultra-fine tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a great finish. Its tannins, as well as its overall balance and purity, are just about off the charts, and this remarkable effort shows how successful the northern part of the Médoc was in 2022. Bravo! 97-99 points" Jebdunnuck.com

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