Château Calon Ségur, 3ème Cru Classé, St Estèphe, 2020
Vincent Millet and Eric Boissenot produce one of the most sought-after wines in the Medoc. They have undertaken a huge replanting project to both improve the density of plantings and increase the share of Cabernet Sauvignon in the vineyard. The blend for the 2020 is a whopping 78% Cabernet Sauvignon with 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It seems the new Calon style is receiving rave reviews from critics and collectors alike. There's a wonderful Cabernet perfume with notes of sweet griotte, fragrant cassis and stones. A dense core of very ripe dark cherry compote delights the mid-palate with a sense of sweet, earthy, creamy textured fruit. It’s quite decadent and generous, yet still bright and controlled. As with all recent Calons, the tannic profile is very stylish, laced with cassis and fine saline and tobacco leaf notes on the finish.
critic reviews
The 2020 Calon Ségur has a perfumed, floral bouquet with violet-tinged black and blue fruit aromas and just a patina of new oak to be fully assimilated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. There's quite a strong sea influence here, with a tang of Japanese seaweed and cracked black pepper on the muscular finish. Like others in this flight, it will need time, but it is a lovely Saint-Estèphe. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
The 2020 Calon-Segur is a brilliant wine from an estate in the ascendant. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, red berries, fresh mint, pencil shavings, violets and rose petals, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a vibrant core of fruit, powdery structuring tannins and a long, perfumed finish. 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.
The 2020 Calon Segur has a deep garnet-purple color. It comes bounding out of the glass with crème de cassis, blueberry pie, and kirsch notes, followed by hints of garrigue, cedar chest, and forest floor. Full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and bright acidity supporting the generous, muscular fruit, finishing long with lots of minerally sparks.