Calon Ségur - Saint-Estèphe 2021

Jeb DUNNUCK

94-97

byJeb Dunnuckthe4/4/2024

The Grand Vin 2021 Château Calon Ségur is one heck of a winner in the vintage and is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. Hitting 12.9% alcohol, its deep purple hue is followed by a gorgeous bouquet of cassis, violets, ripe darker raspberries, and spring flowers. It's elegant and has a great mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It's unquestionably one of the gems from the Médoc and will round into form with 3-5 years of bottle age and, I suspect, be long-lived.

Vinous

97

byAntonio Gallonithe4/2/2024

N°39 TOP 100 VINOUS - A Saint-Estèphe of stature and vertical intensity, the 2021 Calon Ségur dazzles from the very first taste. Spice, menthol, licorice, black cherry, mint and espresso are some of the many notes that build with a bit of coaxing. The 2021 clocks in at a modes

Vinous

97

byAntonio Gallonithe2/28/2024

A Saint-Estèphe of stature and vertical intensity, the 2021 Calon Ségur dazzles from the very first taste. Spice, menthol, licorice, black cherry, mint and espresso are some of the many notes that build with a bit of coaxing. The 2021 clocks in at a modest 12.9% in alcohol, yet it possesses tremendous density and textural resonance. What a wine! Tasted two times.

Wine Advocate

93

byWilliam Kelleythe2/22/2024

Revisited in bottle, the 2021 Calon-Ségur opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries mingled with aromas of violets, pencil shavings, lilac, Indian spices, cigar wrapper and grilled meats. Medium to full-bodied, dense and suave, with powdery tannins, lively acids and a penetratingly sapid and discreetly carnal finish, it appears to have lost a touch of aromatic precision during élevage, but it remains a compelling Calon-Ségur.

Jamessuckling.com

93

byJames Sucklingthe2/22/2024

A juicy and caressingly astringent red with currant, berry and cedar aromas with citrus undertones. Medium body. Firm and silky with a delicious finish. A little tight at the end. Two or three years will open it up.

Wine Spectator

93

byJames Molesworththe2/22/2024

A step ahead of the pack in this vintage, this offers a hint of polish to fleshier-than-most cassis and plum puree flavors. Solidly built, with a well-buried chalky spine, plus tangy acidity. Lilac, bay and black tea notes add range on the finish. Shows the vintage's taut character, but this has more depth and better proportion than most of its colleagues. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2037. 7,800 cases made.  –JM

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

94

byJane Ansonthe1/30/2024

Maintains the clarity and precision that it showed En Primeur, with finely cut tannins, cassis fruits and bitter black chocolate. Savoury and finessed, grilled sandalwood and cocoa bean. Good stuff, understated but refined. Harvest September 28 to October 14, 100% new oak, 43% 1st wine, 36hl/h yield. Old school finesse, not exuberance. Director Vincent Millet.

matthewjukes.com

19

byMatthew Jukesthe8/2/2022

This wine tells the story of the vintage on the Left Bank in one sniff. You will note that Calon included 92% Cabernets in 2021, and this means that it has managed to triumph with pinpoint accurate cassis fruit notes, a slender, silky chassis and extraordinary freshness. Calon picked the Cabernets and the Petit Verdot from 4th until 13th October, and this long hang time and the lovely sunny conditions meant that this is a fully ripe wine but with an enviably trim alcohol level and amazing aromas. Winemaker Vincent Millet told me they are planting more Cabernet Franc to boost their wines in vintages when Merlot falls short of the mark. With a textbook ‘Cabernets’ perfume and amazing linear accuracy, this is a chiselled Calon with alluring silkiness and not a trace of excess flesh or weight. I imagine it will drink well after seven or eight years, and, no doubt by then, Cabernet Franc will be adding its violet tones to the Cabernet Sauvignon blackcurrant core. Truly medium-weight and refreshingly crisp, this perfectly reflects the property and its prime position in Saint-Estèphe. It is also one of the purest expressions I have ever tasted of this estate. 19

Jamessuckling.com

93-94

byJames Sucklingthe6/8/2022

Polished and perfumed already, with very fine, powdery tannins. So silky. Bright red and black berries here with sandalwood and orange-zest notes. Medium-bodied. Refined. 81% cabernet sauvignon, 11% cabernet franc, 7% merlot and 1% petit verdot.

Jeb DUNNUCK

94-97

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/2/2022

The Grand Vin 2021 Château Calon Ségur is one heck of a winner in the vintage and is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. Hitting 12.9% alcohol, its deep purple hue is followed by a gorgeous bouquet of cassis, violets, ripe darker raspberries, and spring flowers. It's elegant and has a great mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It's unquestionably one of the gems from the Médoc and will round into form with 3-5 years of bottle age and, I suspect, be long-lived.

Bettane & Desseauve

95

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/24/2022

Remarquable modération en alcool (12,9°) après les vins suprêmement capiteux de 2018 et 2020. Merveilleuse harmonie et complémentarité du nez et de la texture, sur les plus beaux fruits rouges et un cèdre très lafitien. Long, complexe, racé en diable. De tous, c’est sans doute celui qui est le plus proche de l’équilibre naturel de la vendange. 81 % cabernet-sauvignon, 11 % cabernet franc, 7 % merlot, 1 % petit verdot.

The Vintage Journal

95-96

byAndrew Caillard MWthe5/17/2022

Medium-deep crimson. Intense dark berry, blackcurrant elderberry dark chocolate aromas. Blackberry, malt, nutmeg vanilla notes and fine grainy al dente tannins. Finishes firm with bittersweet notes. Very impressive concentration and mineral length – a sleeping beauty. 81% cabernet sauvignon, 11% cabernet franc, 7% merlot, 1% petit verdot. 20 months in 100% new French oak barriques.

Alexandre Ma

96-98

byAlexandre Mathe5/16/2022

Thanks to the more precise leaves thinning, Calon Ségur was thus fortunate to avoid downy mildew; hence, the healthy bunches of grapes allowed growers to delay the harvest with confidence. This is the secret behind why Calon Ségur is able to shine in the vintage of 2021. When the alcohol level dropped to 12.9%, the graceful DNA of Calon Ségur immediately makes its appearance. The soft and mushy palate reveals extremely rich details, and the sensation of the wine melting in the mouth is similar to eating the famous Chinese dish “Wensi Tofu”. The most arresting part for me is the notes of blooming peonies, which are exuberant and enchanting from head to toes. ??????????,Calon Ségur????????????;???????????????????????????????Calon Ségur???2021???????????????????12.9??,Calon Ségur???DNA??????????????????????????,????????????“????”???????????????????????????,????,?????

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96

byJeff Levethe5/16/2022

Dark garnet in color, tobacco leaf, spicy currants, dried flowers, and blackberries are found on the nose. Medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant and lifted, the fruit is on the elegant, classic side with good sweetness and should be relatively precocious. The finish delivers a nice, spicy, minty, uplifted endnote. The wine was produced from 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, 12.9% ABV, 3.65 pH. The harvest took place September 28, finishing October 13. Drink from 2025-2047. 94-96

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

95

byJane Ansonthe5/13/2022

Vinous

95-97

byNeal Martinthe5/12/2022

The 2021 Calon Ségur was cropped at 36hL/ha and aged entirely in new oak for a planned 20 months. This year, the gap between the Grand Vin and the Marquis is blatantly obvious, to the extent that they are practically different wines, which is how Vincent Millet and his team treat them. The Cabernet is firmly in the driving seat here, with detailed, graphite-infused black fruit and a background florality that comes through with aeration. The medium-bodied palate displays very fine tannins, superb acidity (pH 3.65) and impressive harmony. This has exemplary build in the mouth, fine weight on the finish and a persistent aftertaste. An outstanding Calon-Ségur, elevated by the risks taken in de-leafing in June and waiting to pick. Bravo. 12.9% alcohol

Vinous

94-96

byAntonio Gallonithe5/11/2022

The 2021 Calon Ségur is a gorgeous wine that is going to need a number of years to fully come into its own. Aromatic, punchy and croquant, as the French say, the 2021 is a vibrant, mid-weight Calon that will delight readers who enjoy classically built claret. Don't look for the size or opulence of recent vintages. The 2021 is a cool, classy Saint-Estèphe to savor for years and decades to come. I loved it.

vvwine

95-97

byAdrian Van Velsenthe5/10/2022

81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot aus alten Reben, 1% Petit Verdot. 100% Neuholz, 12.9% Alkohol (der höchste Cabernet Anteil seit 2009). Feinduftige Nase, die Frucht ist klar und rein, das Holz noch minim spürbar, nicht aufdringlich, top integriert, eine subtile, mineralische Note schwingt mit, sehr komplex und super delikat. Im Gaumen gradlinig, schlank, man möchte gleich schlucken, so samtig und rund ist der Auftakt, der Wein hat eine sehr gute Struktur, die Säure ist saftig, die Tannine sind feinkörnig, und im Abgang hallt der Wein sehr lange nach. Ich kann mich nicht erinnern, wann ich das letzte Mal einen so schönen, super-femininen Calon probieren durfte. Eine Grazie. 2026-2050 (Verkostet im April 2022. Château Calon Ségur/Daniel Vins)

Anthocyanes

95-97

byYohan Castaingthe5/6/2022

Assemblages réalisés. Plus bas pourcentage de merlots de l'histoire de la propriété. Très belles notes de violette, de fruits frais, de cerise, de cassis pour un nez éclatant, frais et dynamique. Bouche avec une légère prise de bois, une acidité remarquable, une tension magnifique qui permet à Calon Ségur de faire voir une nouvelle facette de sa personnalité vers plus de cabernet-sauvignon et une sensation calcaire alors qu'il n'y a pas de calcaire à Calon. Très beaux amers. Très belle bouteille dans un style plus racinaire et plus terrien. Bravo ! 95-97+

Wine Advocate

95-96

byWilliam Kelleythe4/29/2022

A brilliant effort that will delight Médoc purists, the 2021 Calon-Ségur wafts from the glass with aromas of rose petals, wild berries, plums, Indian spices, woodsmoke and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, it's deep and lively, with beautifully ripe tannins and an exquisitely balanced profile. In spirit, this blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot is reminiscent of the 1996 vintage, though the 2021 won't go through such an extended period of hibernation and will attain a much higher peak of quality. It attained 12.9% alcohol without any chaptalization, saignée or osmosis. Tasted twice. (95 - 96)+

Decanter.com

95

byGeorgina Hindlethe4/1/2022

A fine Calon Ségur this year with 92% Cabernet, the highest in the blend since the 2009 vintage. This is rich and dark with a spiced nose full of black chocolate and black pepper edged by soft floral notes. Graceful and refined on the palate bursting with freshness and such integrated tannins. Smooth but on the mineral edge so you get that hint of austerity/salinity together with the acidity giving this some sharpness and high definition. It's got concentration and depth but at the moment it's so linear and detailed in its precision that it's coming across very straight and taut. Tannins have some grip and this has a nice weight on the mid-palate leading into a long finish. I adore the sweet salty tang at the end. I'm looking forward to tasting this in bottle. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.65pH. No chaptalisation. A yield of 36hl/ha. 20 months ageing, 100% new oak barrels.