Calon Segur 2018

St Estephe, Third Growth

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Tasting Notes
The 2018 Calon-Ségur has a classic Saint-Estèphe nose. Rather obdurate at first, it takes time to coalesce, revealing black fruit, charcoal and warm gravel scents, well defined but distant and not predisposed to charm the imbiber. In a funny way, I quite like that stubbornness. The palate is well balanced with firm tannins and fine acidity. Maybe this feels a little pinched compared to recent vintages; it does not possess the amplitude of the 2016 and 2017 and it is rather serious on the brine-infused finish. This is a fine and very typical Calon-Ségur, though it is not the most finessed in recent years. Score: 92 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023 - 2045 18 August 2021
The 2018 Calon-Ségur was cropped at 41hl/ha and matured for 20 months in 100% new oak. The last racking had been done in mid-July, a couple of months before the tasting, when the barrels are transferred into the second year cellar. What I find fascinating is that comparing this with the 2017, they are actually quite similar, despite significant differences with respect to the growing season. Mainly black fruit, raspberry coulis, hints of leather and undergrowth, this is well defined and focused, disguising the 14.9% alcohol. The palate is less predisposed to disguise the warmth of the growing season, with ample confit-like black fruit, mulberry, fig and bilberry jam. This is a Calon-Ségur of considerable girth: quite muscular in style and grippy towards the finish. I do not find it as nuanced or as pixelated as other recent vintages. This opulent Calon-Ségur will provide plenty of drinking pleasure over the next 20 to 25 years but writing this has a massive fan for many years, I need to be more convinced that it truly ranks as one of the estate's all-time greats. We shall see. Score: 93 - 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2045 01 November 2019
Easily the greatest example from this château that I've tasted, the 2018 Château Calon Ségur checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot aged 20 months in new French oak. This dense purple-hued beauty boasts a stunning nose of blackcurrants, crème de cassis, tobacco, baking spices, chocolate, and cedarwood. With full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, gorgeous tannins, and one seriously long finish, it hits that palate with 15% alcohol, yet you wouldn't know it by tasting it, and the wine is perfectly balanced, has incredible purity of fruit, and stays fresh and lively, with a clean finish. This magical Saint-Estèphe can be drunk any time over the coming 20+ years. Score: 99 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2023 - 2048 18 July 2021
In the running for the wine of the vintage in Saint-Estèphe (if not the whole Medoc), the 2018 Château Calon Ségur is a tentative blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot that will spend 20 months in new French oak. In comparison to the more backward Montrose and more classically styled Cos d’Estournel, this beauty is as sexy and opulent as Saint-Estèphe gets, revealing a saturated purple color, awesome notes of crème de cassis, crushed rocks, spicy oak, and cedar pencil, full body, remarkable purity, and sweet, mouth-coating tannins. Checking in at 14.9% natural alcohol, it’s a big wine, no doubt, yet is perfectly ripe (not overripe or underripe), has terrific purity of fruit and a seamless texture, all making for a singular, thrilling 2018. Score: 97 - 100 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 24 April 2019
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. Score: 96 - 98 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 23 April 2019
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. pH 3.75. 100% new oak. Barrel sample. Darkest cherry colour. Lifted and fragrant, very Cabernet Franc on the nose. Both black and dark-red fruit, almost raspberry, but pencil shavings too. Super-fine tannins, so silky already, so fluent, though there is clearly a density and concentration here in the texture as it builds in the mouth. Lovely dry texture on the finish, dark-fruited but full of life – I would not have thought this had so much new oak as it is swallowed by the fruit. (JH) 14.9% Score: 18 Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2028-2040 23 April 2019
An impressive, concentrated and powerful Calon that will win many admirers without a doubt, but I would be a little hesitant if you're a fan of the more classic balance found in the 2016. It has gorgeous chocolate and rich coffee notes, with complex exotic spices and even salted caramel on the finish, along with a lovely mouthwatering quality helped by a relatively low pH of 3.75 and a good yield of 41hl/ha. This will need long ageing, probably 20 months. I tasted it on several occasions and there are no arguments that it's a stunning wine but I would probably favour the 2016 if looking to cellar something, because it's more in character for what is one of my favourite properties in the appellation. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 100% new oak. Score: 96 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2028-2042 15 April 2019
The quality of the tannins is most notable here; they are present, but totally integrated and folded into the wine. Medium-to full-bodied with lovely savory fruit and a persistent and long finish. Very harmonious and fine. Yet, with air, it takes off with tannin power. Score: 97 - 98 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 11 April 2019
A stratospheric, regal wine, Calon Ségur embodies all the best qualities of the vintage. Rich to the point of being exotically ripe, 2018 reminds me of the 2014 in its composition, but with more of everything. On the palate, the 2018 is towering and statuesque, with soaring structure and tremendous overall intensity. Striking aromatic top notes and bright saline underpinnings give the 2018 its energy, tension and nuance. As in 2014, the entirety of the château's Cabernet Franc went into the Grand Vin. Inky, powerful and explosive, Calon Ségur is a headspinning wine. Don't miss it! Score: 96 - 99 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 April 2019
Delivers a laser beam of cassis, bitter plum and cherry reduction notes, with an extremely fine-grained structure carrying this through a long finish. Accents of iron and violet are piercing in their purity and definition. A very complete and precise wine. Score: 96 - 99 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 28 March 2019

Tasting Notes

The 2018 Calon-Ségur has a classic Saint-Estèphe nose. Rather obdurate at first, it takes time to coalesce, revealing black fruit, charcoal and warm gravel scents, well defined but distant and not predisposed to charm the imbiber. In a funny way, I quite like that stubbornness. The palate is well balanced with firm tannins and fine acidity. Maybe this feels a little pinched compared to recent vintages; it does not possess the amplitude of the 2016 and 2017 and it is rather serious on the brine-infused finish. This is a fine and very typical Calon-Ségur, though it is not the most finessed in recent years.

Score: 92

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023 - 2045 18 August 2021

The 2018 Calon-Ségur was cropped at 41hl/ha and matured for 20 months in 100% new oak. The last racking had been done in mid-July, a couple of months before the tasting, when the barrels are transferred into the second year cellar. What I find fascinating is that comparing this with the 2017, they are actually quite similar, despite significant differences with respect to the growing season. Mainly black fruit, raspberry coulis, hints of leather and undergrowth, this is well defined and focused, disguising the 14.9% alcohol. The palate is less predisposed to disguise the warmth of the growing season, with ample confit-like black fruit, mulberry, fig and bilberry jam. This is a Calon-Ségur of considerable girth: quite muscular in style and grippy towards the finish. I do not find it as nuanced or as pixelated as other recent vintages. This opulent Calon-Ségur will provide plenty of drinking pleasure over the next 20 to 25 years but writing this has a massive fan for many years, I need to be more convinced that it truly ranks as one of the estate's all-time greats. We shall see.

Score: 93 - 95

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2045 01 November 2019

Easily the greatest example from this château that I've tasted, the 2018 Château Calon Ségur checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot aged 20 months in new French oak. This dense purple-hued beauty boasts a stunning nose of blackcurrants, crème de cassis, tobacco, baking spices, chocolate, and cedarwood. With full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, gorgeous tannins, and one seriously long finish, it hits that palate with 15% alcohol, yet you wouldn't know it by tasting it, and the wine is perfectly balanced, has incredible purity of fruit, and stays fresh and lively, with a clean finish. This magical Saint-Estèphe can be drunk any time over the coming 20+ years.

Score: 99

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2023 - 2048 18 July 2021

In the running for the wine of the vintage in Saint-Estèphe (if not the whole Medoc), the 2018 Château Calon Ségur is a tentative blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot that will spend 20 months in new French oak. In comparison to the more backward Montrose and more classically styled Cos d’Estournel, this beauty is as sexy and opulent as Saint-Estèphe gets, revealing a saturated purple color, awesome notes of crème de cassis, crushed rocks, spicy oak, and cedar pencil, full body, remarkable purity, and sweet, mouth-coating tannins. Checking in at 14.9% natural alcohol, it’s a big wine, no doubt, yet is perfectly ripe (not overripe or underripe), has terrific purity of fruit and a seamless texture, all making for a singular, thrilling 2018.

Score: 97 - 100

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 24 April 2019

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.

Score: 96 - 98

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 23 April 2019

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. pH 3.75. 100% new oak. Barrel sample. Darkest cherry colour. Lifted and fragrant, very Cabernet Franc on the nose. Both black and dark-red fruit, almost raspberry, but pencil shavings too. Super-fine tannins, so silky already, so fluent, though there is clearly a density and concentration here in the texture as it builds in the mouth. Lovely dry texture on the finish, dark-fruited but full of life – I would not have thought this had so much new oak as it is swallowed by the fruit. (JH) 14.9%

Score: 18

Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2028-2040 23 April 2019

An impressive, concentrated and powerful Calon that will win many admirers without a doubt, but I would be a little hesitant if you're a fan of the more classic balance found in the 2016. It has gorgeous chocolate and rich coffee notes, with complex exotic spices and even salted caramel on the finish, along with a lovely mouthwatering quality helped by a relatively low pH of 3.75 and a good yield of 41hl/ha. This will need long ageing, probably 20 months. I tasted it on several occasions and there are no arguments that it's a stunning wine but I would probably favour the 2016 if looking to cellar something, because it's more in character for what is one of my favourite properties in the appellation. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 100% new oak.

Score: 96

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2028-2042 15 April 2019

The quality of the tannins is most notable here; they are present, but totally integrated and folded into the wine. Medium-to full-bodied with lovely savory fruit and a persistent and long finish. Very harmonious and fine. Yet, with air, it takes off with tannin power.

Score: 97 - 98

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 11 April 2019

A stratospheric, regal wine, Calon Ségur embodies all the best qualities of the vintage. Rich to the point of being exotically ripe, 2018 reminds me of the 2014 in its composition, but with more of everything. On the palate, the 2018 is towering and statuesque, with soaring structure and tremendous overall intensity. Striking aromatic top notes and bright saline underpinnings give the 2018 its energy, tension and nuance. As in 2014, the entirety of the château's Cabernet Franc went into the Grand Vin. Inky, powerful and explosive, Calon Ségur is a headspinning wine. Don't miss it!

Score: 96 - 99

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 April 2019

Delivers a laser beam of cassis, bitter plum and cherry reduction notes, with an extremely fine-grained structure carrying this through a long finish. Accents of iron and violet are piercing in their purity and definition. A very complete and precise wine.

Score: 96 - 99

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 28 March 2019

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