The Grand Vin of Calon Ségur mirrors its terroir. It is rare, authentic and stirs the soul. In the most natural way, it reveals both great delicacy and outstanding intensity. All the magic of Calon is in this balance. The wine is aged in new oak barrels for 20 months, the tannins of the oak integrating harmoniously over time with the tannins of the grapes. The style is brought by a Cabernet Sauvignon which expresses its finesse without arrogance. Elegance is to be found everywhere, in the purity of the wine’s flavours, in the delicacy of its texture, while its depth and length are also superb. The wine’s extraordinary ability to age many years in bottle is another feature of the estate.

At the centre of all our concerns and in the centre of the bottle label, the heart has been the symbol of Calon since the 18th century, thanks to the Marquis de Ségur and this sentence which has travelled through time: “I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon”. The Marquis de Ségur, the so-called Prince of Vines, was one of the most influential men in Bordeaux and reigned over some of the top Médoc wine growths. His wines delighted Versailles and subsequently charmed all the courts of Europe.

In the 19th century, the heart was engraved on the façade of the cellars. The words next to it, Premier Cru de Saint-Estèphe, underline the fact that the estate is one of the oldest in the commune. Saint-Estèphe in fact long bore the name Saint-Estèphe de Calon, as if the Château’s and the village’s history were one and the same.

Calon Ségur, Cabernet Sauvignon. The shared initials of these words are apparently no coincidence. “The Cabernet Sauvignon is the backbone of Calon Ségur”, affirms estate manager Vincent Millet. Since his arrival in 2006, he has undertaken a comprehensive soil study at Calon. The results show that its terroir is wonderfully suited to the expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. Every year, this grape variety is being replanted at high density, some 10,000 vines per hectare. This long-term programme will stretch to 2032, by which time Cabernet Sauvignon will make up 70% of the vineyard. Since the 2008 vintage, it has represented three quarters of the final blend for the First Wine and may reach 90% in great vintages.

"The 2018 Calon-Ségur is blended of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot (14.9% alcohol). It is anticipated to age for 20 months in barriques, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs just a little coaxing before it reveals seductive notes of baked cherries, warm cassis, licorice and smoked meats with nuances of hoisin, camphor, Chinese five spice and dried roses with a waft of cardamom. Full-bodied and completely packed with concentrated black fruit and spice layers, it has a firm frame of grainy tannins and a wicked backbone of freshness giving an energetic lift to the very long finish. There's lots of brightness coming from the Cabernet Franc component in here, but it is nonetheless a decadent expression."
96 - 98 points, Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Bordeaux Report, April 2018.