Magnum Château Calon Ségur - Saint-Estèphe 2013 b5952cb1c3ab96cb3c8c63cfb3dccaca

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byNeal Martinthe10/28/2016

The 2013 Calon Segur is a Saint Estèphe that should not be ignored. It has developed an attractive bouquet with blackberry, graphite and a hint of vanilla in the background. No, it is not an intense bouquet, yet winemaker Vincent Millet has conjured aromatics that frankly shade many other Left Bank properties this year. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and crisp acidity. There is tangible energy here with a cohesive and silky textured finish. What is lacks in depth it compensates with a sense of panache. It will be earlier drinking than other vintages, but the class comes through. Bravo to Vincent and his team for making the best wine they possibly could in this challenging vintage.

Wine Spectator

90 / 100

the3/31/2016

Wine Enthusiast

96 / 100

byRoger Vossthe3/1/2016

This is an impressive wine that transcends the problems of the vintage. It has rich fruit that is sustained by the tannic structure that rests on a bed of fresh blackberry fruits cut with fresh acidity. The wine will certainly age well. Don't think about drinking it before 2024.

Jamessuckling.com

94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2016

This is a wonderful bottle for the vintage with currant, violet, mushroom and forest fruit character yet always subtle. Full body, tight and silky. A beautiful finish. All in finesse. Sweet fruit on the finish. Mostly cabernet sauvignon. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/29/2014

The 2013 Calon Segur is unquestionably one of the stars of the vintage. The harvest ran from early October for the Merlot grape and to the second full week of October for the Cabernet Sauvignon. I don’t recall (although I’d have to go through all my notes for the last 3-4 years) a Calon Segur with this high a percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, as Merlot has always been a prominent player in the final blend. It is opaque purple in color with a glorious nose of incense, creme de cassis, licorice and a touch of graphite. The wine is full-bodied, opulent, fleshy and surprisingly deep and dense, especially for a wine from this vintage. It is almost atypically thick and rich for a 2013. Nevertheless, the tannins are soft and the wine should be relatively approachable after 2-3 years bottle age. This is a property on the move, upward. Smart and shrewd readers will take a look at this vintage, as well as future vintages of Calon Segur, a terroir with true first-growth potential.

Calon Segur was purchased from the Gasqueton family by Suravenir, a large French insurance company. It is no secret that this is one of the greatest vineyards in Bordeaux, if not the world, and while the wines have always been impressive, there has always been considerable room for improvement. 2013 may mark an historic transition from a consistently excellent-to-outstanding wine, to one that is poised to be another potential first-growth of the Medoc. The yields were 36 hectoliters per hectare producing a final blend of 92 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot with an impressive natural alcohol level of 13.1%.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

88-91 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe5/16/2014

(92% cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, 6% merlot and 2% petit verdot):  Good full ruby.  Bright raspberry, blackberry, minerals, espresso and a whiff of violet on the nose.  Fine-grained and fresh in the mouth, with a floral quality adding lift to the dark fruit, flint and cocoa flavors.  I had this wine on two different occasions with vastly different results: one sample was dense and horizontal, with very attractive floral fruit, while the other was thin and vegetal.  As the former description is more in sync with what Calon Segur usually comes up, I'll give that description here.  The combined 92% for the cabernets refers to the fact that Vincent Millet, Calon Segur's very talented winemaker and technical director, said he can't be sure just how much franc there is planted among the cabernets as the old vines were often haphazardly co-planted.

timatkin.com

94 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe5/7/2014

The swanky new cellar at Calon doesn’t seem to have affected the quality of the wine, thank goodness, because this remains the most graceful and nuanced of St Estèphes. It’s comparatively light, with chiselled acidity, filigree tannins and gentle red fruits sweetness.

matthewjukes.com

17,5 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/23/2014

(92 Cabernet Sauvignon, 6 Merlot, 2 Petit Verdot) Nice power, discreet, reserved and tender, too. The oak has been completely absorbed by the wine and the result is a very elegant, pristine Cabernet. It is reminiscent of an old-fashioned Calon but with the brightest, slimmest Cabernet fruit imaginable. There is a crisp, tangy finish but no dry tannins and the fruit theme is plum-soaked and not too dark. Production is down 20% and the selection to make a wine of this calibre was very severe. Apparently the price will be ‘decreased to show goodwill’ – let’s see how far!

Vinous

90-92 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe4/17/2014

The 2013 Calon Ségur is refined and polished to the core. Sweet tobacco, graphite, crushed rocks and dark fruit all meld together in the glass. A wine of notable grace and elegance, the 2013 is all about finesse. A pure crystalline finish rounds things out in style. This is a promising showing.

My Bettane + Desseauve

18 / 20

the4/15/2014

Magnifique réussite, grande noblesse aromatique, corps plein et crémeux dans ses sensations tactiles, saveur riche, complexe, harmonieuse, tannin d’une parfaite élégance, sentiment de race et d’équilibre au plus haut degré, bravo.

Wine Advocate

89-91 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/15/2014

The Calon Segur 2013 is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot delivering 13.1% alcohol raised for 20 months (eventually) entirely new oak. There was a little chaptalization with respect to the Cabernet Sauvignon. It actually included 19% vin de presse, which was included in this sample. The wood comes through quite strongly on the aromatics at first and at the moment it seems to dominate the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with tobacco infused black fruit. This is balanced with well-judged acidity, a little softer towards the finish than previous recent vintages. It is a pleasant Calon-Segur but it needs to develop more personality, but it is a successful wine considering the growing season.

Decanter.com

17,75 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/14/2014

Wonderful expression of Cabernet Sauvignon (92%), cassis, slightly smoky, all  elegance from St-Estèphe, a finely polished wine.

Jamessuckling.com

89-90 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/8/2014

This is fresh and spicy with currant and berry character. Medium to full body with hazelnut, currant and hints of cloves.      

Wine Enthusiast

96-98 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/3/2014

This is a wonderfully rich and ripe wine. It has finely integrated tannins as well as blackberry fruit. The texture is velvet smooth, opulent, ripe and concentrated, packed with beautiful fruit flavors. It’s a wine that will age superbly.              

René Gabriel

17 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/3/2014

75 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 17 % Cabernet Franc, 6 % Merlot, 2 % Petit Verdot. 100 % neues Holz. Dunkles Granat, recht satt in der Mitte, rubiner Rand. Rote Kirschen, Rosenduft, schwarzer Pfeffer, Edelhölzer, nicht besonders druckvoll, aber dafür geradlinig und direkt. Im Gaumen saftig, feine Muskeln zeigend, rassiges Extrakt, im Nachklang dezent süsse, aber auch fein kernige, zum Rest passende Tannine. Ein leichterer Calon - aber kein banaler Ségur.

Wine Spectator

89-92 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/3/2014

This has freshness and cut, with lively bay and savory notes leading the way for a mix of red and black currant fruit. Iron-tinged minerality lines the finish, featuring judicious, integrated toast. A very solid effort. —J.M.