Calon Ségur - Saint-Estèphe 2023

The Wine Cellar Insider

96

byJeff Levethe3/30/2026

Tobacco, underbrush, assorted spices, blackberries, wild herbs, and espresso form the enticing aromatic profile. Concentrated, long, dense, and intense, there is power, as well as lushness giving you a wine that is rich, balanced, well-defined, supple, creamy, and vibrant, with layers of fruit serving up a depth of flavor length and refinement. The refreshing waves of red with black fruits, sprig of mint, and touches of spice in the finish stay with you for close to 50 seconds in the up-beat finish. The wine blends 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2030-2060.

Vinous

96

byAntonio Gallonithe3/16/2026

The 2023 Calon Ségur is every bit as impressive as it was en primeur. Today, I find it a bit tight texturally, but that won't be an issue in time. Dark-toned fruit, lavender, dried herbs, licorice, menthol, gravel and chocolate are some of the notes that take shape in the glass. Cabernet Sauvignon is very much front and center. The 2023 is a wine of reserve; I won't be surprised if it is even better in a few years.

Vinous

93

byNeal Martinthe2/1/2026

The 2023 Calon Ségur, aged entirely in new oak, is quintessential Saint-Estèphe on the nose, with blackberry and wild hedgerow scents, slate and graphite, paradoxically standoffish but luring you in. Impressive delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins. Quite linear in style, a little more peppery than I recollect from barrel, it has an insistent grip and admirable sustain on the aftertaste. Very fine.

Jamessuckling.com

97

byJames Sucklingthe1/27/2026

Intense, perfumed aromas of graphite, blackberries, blueberries and stones follow through to a medium body with dried spices, tobacco, dried flowers and thyme. Typical on the palate as well. Structured and linear, with super length and tension. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, 12% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Give this four or five years. Try after 2029.

My Bettane + Desseauve

94-95

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/15/2024

Puissant et onctueux, sans lourdeur, complexe dans les sensations tactiles, le tannin est archétypique du cru et unique en appellation saint-estèphe.

Yvesbeck.wine

97-99

byYves Beckthe5/14/2024

Das Bouquet offenbart seine Reifung durch Noten von frischem Holz. Schnell gewinnen das Terroir und der Cabernet Sauvignon die Oberhand und verleihen dem Wein ebenso viel Authentizität wie Pluralität. So offenbart er Nuancen von rosa Pfeffer, schwarzer Schokolade, Eukalyptus, Holunder und Pfefferminze, die von klassischen Graphit- und Zedernholznoten ergänzt werden. Am Gaumen zeichnet sich der Wein durch seine Dichte, seine Kraft und seine Gelassenheit aus. Er verkörpert bestens den Ausdruck stille Kraft dank runder, feinkörniger Tannine und einer prägnanten, energiespendenden Säurestruktur. Ein Calon, der noch nicht verführen will; im Moment will er vor allem überzeugen und sich durch seinen Glanz, seine Größe, seine Nachhaltigkeit und seine akribische Präzision positionieren. Alles zu seiner Zeit. Und zum Schluss sei noch erwähnt, dass die zartere, mitreißendere Seite sich langsam im Rückgrat abzeichnet. Das ist ein gutes Omen für diesen sehr großen Calon Ségur.

Jeb DUNNUCK

95-98

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/13/2024

The 2023 Château Calon Ségur is absolutely brilliant and clearly in the top handful of wines in the vintage. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, it has a stunning array of cassis and black raspberry-like fruits intermixed with smoky tobacco, graphite, and classy oak. Full-bodied, concentrated, and seamlessly textured, it has more mid-palate depth, richness, and length than just about every other wine out there.

The Wine Independent

95-97

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/8/2024

A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2023 Calon Segur has a deep garnet-purple color. After a swirl or two, notes of fresh blackcurrants, juicy blackberries, and redcurrant jelly leap from the glass, followed by hints of rose oil, cumin seed, and mint tea. The medium to full-bodied palate is bursting with bold red and black fruit flavors, supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and spicy. Nicely done!

The Drinks Business

94-96

byColin Haythe5/7/2024

Calon-Ségur (St-Estèphe; 72% Cabernet Sauvignon; 15% Merlot; 12% Cabernet Franc; 1% Petit Verdot; pH 3.7; IPT 73; aging in new oak barrels; 55% of the production made the selection for the grand vin; a final yield of 45 hl/ha; 14% alcohol; tasted at the property). Wild strawberry, blueberry, red and darker cherries, damson. Violet. Full and plush and rich. There are graphite and walnut notes too, dancing cheek to jowl with the florality and the black cherries. This opens rather gracefully in the glass with gentle aeration. I find this reassuringly familiar as Calon-Ségur – it’s almost a little ‘old school’. Big and bold, though not the amplest or broadest of frames but deep – not so much cylindrical or spherical as lozenge-shaped in the mouth. Bold, quite serious though never austere. Classical. Gravelly. Growly. And with lots of girth and substance. Very different from Montrose and Cos, with less silk and more velour. Juicy but with quite a lot of tannin still to resolve.

The Wine Cellar Insider

95-97

byJeff Levethe5/6/2024

The black fruits, dark red berries, flowers, licorice, spice, smoke, and crème de cassis in the perfume is a knockout! The wine is rich, balanced, well-defined, supple, creamy, and vibrant. The fruits have weight, depth, length, and purity. The concentrated layers of fruit start off strong, and keep on going. The refreshing waves of red with black fruits, sprig of mint, and touches of spice hang with you for close to 50 seconds in the up-beat finish. The wine blends 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. 14% ABV, 3.7 pH. The harvest took place September 6 - September 30. Only 55% of the harvest was placed into the Grand Vin. Drink from 2030-2060. 95-97 Pts.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

97

byJane Ansonthe5/6/2024

Precise and confident texture to this wine, has higher levels of both Cabernets in 2023 than in 2022, having reached exceptional maturity, and personally I feel that have recaptured the heart and spirit of Calon. Skilfully made, love the violet peony savoury character, it's sappy and has liqourice root and squid ink salinity, along with tons of cassis and cigar box. The blend for this was built on Cabernet, and you can feel it. My favourite Calon since the 2020 vintage, hands down. 100% new oak, director Vincent Millet.

Vinous

94-96

byAntonio Gallonithe4/30/2024

The 2023 Calon Ségur is a wine for readers who can be patient. In many recent years, Calon Ségur has been quite showy, but this is not one of them. Bold acids and huge tannins dominate at this stage. Bright red-toned fruit is a signature, but the 2023 is a powerful, young Calon Ségur that will clearly need time to come together. Bright acids extend the finish beautifully.

Vinous

92-94

byNeal Martinthe4/29/2024

The 2023 Calon Ségur was picked September 6 to 30 at 45hL/ha. As usual, it is being aged entirely in new oak for a planned 20 months. It has a tight, cohesive bouquet of predominantly black fruit intermixed with wild hedgerow, tobacco and melted tar. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive grip on the entry—quite fresh, with a subtle marine tincture and a touch of Japanese nori in the background. It gently fans out on the finish, but it remains controlled and especially linear for Calon-Ségur, perhaps less swayed by the Merlot (15% of the blend). Classy.

Falstaff

96

byPeter Moserthe4/29/2024

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Nuances of ripe heart cherry and candied violet, rose petal, black forest berries, fine tobacco notes, some nougat, juicy, red cherry, finesse-rich structure, almost creamy texture, ripe, silky tannins, shows length and freshness, animating style with certain ageing potential.

Alexandre Ma

97-98

byAlexandre Mathe4/28/2024

Wine Advocate

94-96

byWilliam Kelleythe4/26/2024

The 2023 Calon-Ségur is another en primeur success for this resurgent Saint-Estèphe third growth. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, wild berries and plums, it's medium to full-bodied, cool and layered, with a deep and integrated core, terrific concentration, lively acids and refined structuring tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It's a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot that checks in at 14% alcohol.

Jamessuckling.com

96-97

byJames Sucklingthe4/25/2024

Blackcurrant, blueberry, cedar, pine needle and black truffle here. I don't think much about the nose with barrel samples, but this is splendid. It's medium-bodied with very fresh acidity and fine, linear tannins that are long and lively. Energy here. Refined. Salty character at the last minute. I may like this better than 2022. A blend of 72% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, 12% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

Decanter.com

91

byGeorgina Hindlethe4/25/2024

Dark fragrance to the nose. A little tight but this also has an ease about it with density to the grippy tannins that have a fruity, fleshy aspect to them as well as a clear wet stone, slate minerality that lingers on the tongue. A little firm on the finish, but structured and polished still with a juicy mouthwatering red cherry centre. Will be nice to taste it calms. Not so long but there’s nice character here nonetheless. 3.6pH. Ageing 17 months, 30% new. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend.