Wine Advocate
par Robert Parker le 30/04/1997
A compliment is in order for Madame Gasqueton, the strict yet passionate widow who has taken over this estate since the death of her husband several years ago. It is no coincidence that the 1995 and 1996 Calon-Segurs are two of the finest wines this estate has made since 1982. Why? First, Madame Gasqueton introduced a stricter selection, producing more abundant quantities of the second wine, the Marquis de Calon. Secondly, improvements were made in the cellar, and the percentage of new oak casks was increased to 50%. Thirdly, approximately 20% of the production benefits from having malolactic fermentation occur in barrel rather than tank. And lastly, Calon-Segur is now bottled after 18 months in cask, a much needed departure from the former practice of aging the wine 24-30 months prior to bottling. The 1996, a 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot blend, made from very low yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare (just over 2 tons of fruit per acre), appears to be a dazzling, traditionally made, uncompromising, classic Bordeaux that will need 10-15 years of cellaring. Sixty percent of the crop made it into the final blend. The wine exhibits an opaque purple color, and copious quantities of sweet, floral-scented, black-cherry and cassis scents. Full-bodied, powerful, and tannic, the 1996 Calon-Segur should equal the quality of the 1995, but be less appealing in its youth. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2030.