Château Calon Ségur Saint-Estèphe 2020 - 3ème Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The restoration of the château, completed this spring, beautifully complements the renovation of the wine-making facility and the revitalization of the vineyard, restoring the estate to the grandeur befitting the town’s stately estate, majestically enclosed within its walls. A highly skilled team is making the most of this exceptional terroir, now producing wines on par with those of a Premier Grand Cru Classé. The estate belonged to the Capbern-Gasqueton family for over a century; since 2012, it has been owned by the insurance company Suravenir. Even more so than the second wine, Marquis-de-Calon, the Capbern estate—produced from the vines outside the walls of the clos—offers a Saint-Estèphe with exceptional value for money.

Decanter

About the wine:

The nose is very deep and fragrant; the 1% Petit Verdot is quite powerful and intense, with aromas of ripe fruit. On the palate, however, it is very smooth and silky—so juicy and charming—with excellent balance. This wine exudes beautiful energy and great freshness; it is both lively and well-defined—succulent, yet intense and linear in structure. Its body comes from ripe, plump fruit—blackcurrant, black cherry, and plum—counterbalanced by a refreshing minerality reminiscent of wet stone and pencil lead. The richness is undeniable, the concentration is there, but there’s also a touch of magic on the finish—so well executed and so long. Truly impressive. 2029–2048

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

A noble estate named after the parish of Saint-Estèphe in the Middle Ages (Calones), this vineyard is one of the oldest in the region. Between 1659 and 1681, it passed into the hands of the Ségur family, who developed this vineyard to which they were deeply attached: “I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon,” said Nicolas-Alexandre. Backed by the village of Saint-Estèphe, the vineyard—a single, contiguous plot entirely enclosed by a wall—covers 55 hectares, the same area as at the time of the 1855 classification, planted on a thick layer of gravel resting on clay. Owned by the Gasqueton family from 1894 to 2012, Calon is now owned by Suravenir, a subsidiary of the Crédit Mutuel group, which has undertaken a major renovation program, including the construction of a new fermentation tank.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Calon-Ségur 2020 is a brilliant wine from an estate on the rise. On the nose, it offers aromas of blackcurrant, red berries, fresh mint, pencil lead, violet, and rose petals. This full-bodied, deep, and complex wine features a vibrant fruit core, silky tannins, and a long, fragrant finish. Well-integrated and harmonious, this pure, concentrated, and dynamic wine is one of the finest vintages that Vincent Millet and his team have produced to date. 2027–2055

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The 2020 vintage is truly a top-tier Calon, one of absolute distinction, with a full-bodied, rich texture that is, above all, vibrant and persistent, featuring a very long and well-defined finish. It has it all… it’s hard to resist.

About the estate:

Acquired in 2012 by the Suravenir insurance group following the death of Denise Gasqueton, Calon-Ségur now has its sights set high and is pulling out all the stops to achieve its goals. The estate, blessed with exceptional terroir, has demonstrated in the past its ability to produce wines that rank among the greatest Médocs. Very tight, firm, and slow to develop, at their best they possess an extraordinary density and elegance, which is beginning to reappear in the latest vintages. Vincent Millet, formerly of Château Margaux, has been the technical director since 2006. His mission: to elevate the estate’s quality by adopting a blending approach much more heavily weighted toward Cabernet Sauvignon. Given the truly outstanding recent vintages, Calon-Ségur has now established itself as one of the most compelling labels in the Médoc. Consequently, demand continues to rise.

James Suckling

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

The 2020 Château Calon Ségur is a true gem, yet another masterpiece from this estate. Harvested entirely in September from their 48 hectares of vineyards, this blend consists of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the remainder Petit Verdot. Aged for 20 months in new French oak barrels, it has a natural alcohol content of 13.2%. My tasting notes were unanimous: “Wow!” This captivating Saint-Estèphe offers a divine bouquet of blackcurrants and redcurrants, truffle-infused earth, iron, espresso, and tobacco. With incredible fruit purity, ample richness, and exceptionally refined tannins, this deep, pure, and complex 2020 deserves at least 7 to 8 years of aging and can be cellared for 40 to 50 years. Hats off to the Calon Ségur team! 2030–2080

Yves Beck

About the wine:

When we think back to the first day of school after summer break, we automatically think of chatting with our classmates. We talk about our vacations; everyone eagerly and excitedly shares everything they’ve been up to. And then there’s this young man who walks in, very calmly, smiling, takes his seat, and gets right to the heart of the matter. His name is Calon Ségur. He has plenty to share—so much, in fact, that he prefers to start by sitting down, which I also recommend you do when you taste him! This wine presents itself with precision and a rare sense of calm. Its bouquet is subtle and complex, with nuances of tea leaves, licorice, and blueberries. Its well-defined and perfectly integrated tannins underscore its exceptional aging potential. It’s a marathon runner—a muscular, enduring athlete—with obvious density and depth, but above all, precision and a very linear character. It just needs time to express itself. It stands up, walks over to the blackboard, and begins to write an equation. If my calculations are correct, the solution is just a few decimal places away from 100. It will get there. In the meantime, it goes back to sit… in the cellar! 2028–2050

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

Powerful, rich, deep, and long on the palate, with layers of black and red fruits, Asian spices, Boysenberry, blackcurrant, cedar, licorice, cocoa, tobacco leaf, graphite, and a refreshing hint of mint on the nose. The wine offers intensity, depth of flavor, power, ripe tannins, liveliness, blackberry, and a lingering red currant finish with hints of spice, chocolate, and crème de cassis on the finish. Cellar it for a few years, then enjoy it over the next thirty years or so. Best enjoyed between 2026 and 2055.