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Calon Ségur 2017

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Estèphe
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

This classic Chateau has one of the greatest terroirs of Bordeaux. Quality in the past has been good but a little variable. However, en primeur prices were always reasonable - especially so in comparison to those of traditional rivals and neighbours Cos d'Estournel and Montrose. The 55 hectare property has recently been sold to a French insurance company - Suravenir. Manager Laurent Dufau has over-seen much modernisation of the wine-making facilities and quality is now back to "super-second" levels. The vineyard is planted with 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Calon Segur

Label

Tasting Notes

The 2017 Calon Segur has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It strolls out with evocative scents of cassis, redcurrants, and kirsch, plus nuances of camphor, crushed rocks, and wild thyme. Medium-bodied, the palate has plenty of savory-laced black and red fruits in the mouth, with chewy tannins and a lifted finish.

95
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, December 2022

Tasted blind. Deep ruby colour. Sweet spice from oak on the nose adding some generosity to red-cherry fruit. There is an exotic edge that is a little discordant to the aromas for now. Succulent and plush on the palate, this is modern and hedonistic, trying to flesh out the stricter style of the vintage. It is somewhat successful, but the pithy tannins and high acidity just detract from the finish. Perhaps this will settle together in time.
Drink 2025 – 2037

16.5
Thomas Parker MW, JancisRobinson.com, October 2021

Graphite, wild herbs, bracken, violets and such spicy black and blue berries. The palate has impressive concentration, yet very supple, charming texture. Such impressively articulated tannin detail with very fine, long tannins and deeply integrated oak. This wine is so full of flavor and interest from start to finish. A blend of 76% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot, 9% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Needs three to four year to come around. Try in 2023 and onwards.

95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, January 2020

This is rich, with fresh blueberry and cassis notes. The fruit is on the elegant side, and this should be earlier to drink than the 2016 and even the 2014. Technical director Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen and the team took an interesting approach to building the mid-palate, increasing the persistency by re-integrating the press wine immediately after vinification, so having both free run and press wine together during maceration. Blending the press wine at such an early stage took a leap of faith, as did using so much of the young, nine-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon in the first blend. But it works - this is precise, balanced and appealing, building slowly over the palate. Yield of 43.5hl/ha, 40% of production into the grand vin. 3.7pH.
Drinking Window 2025 - 2040

94
Jane Anson, Decanter.com, April 2018

Inky core with black-cherry rim. Ripe, dark and with a fine mineral cast to the cassis fruit, which is ripe but not sweet. Paper-fine tannins in many layers. Great ageing potential but also accessible. Deceptively accessible, suggesting lack of ageing ability, but I don't think that is the case. Cool, fresh, serious, fine cassis fruit. The finesse comes from the lack of sweetness but there's no lack of fruit. Dry, firm and very St-Estèphe, with tannin structure. But the structure is filled molecule by molecule with the fruit. It's so finely balanced. There's more firmness than in Cos but there's still excellent harmony. Opens to a hint of violets. Super-moreish and juicy even with the structure of the terroir.
Drink 2025-2040

17.5+
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2018

Minty fragrant the nose is fresh the start of the palate has a bramble and bilberry mix. Concentration and depth in the middle the tannins fine the rich fruits fill out the back plate the finish is lighter stylish and long. Drink 2025-2040.

90/93
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, May 2018

The growing season started early with relatively dry conditions and temperatures which were above average – accordingly the harvest was two weeks early compared with the previous five vintages. Because of the proximity to the Gironde Estuary the vineyards were protected from the frosts at the end of April. In spite of some hot spells, the clay soils regulated
moisture well. Everything was picked between 15th and 29th September. Very deep and sonorous on the nose there is a superb wave of cassis which greets the palate. This is a different take on Calon and it is a style of wine which I have never seen before at this property. It is shaped like the lovely 2008 in terms of refinement and size, but this wine has 15% ten-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend and this is the first time that this fruit has been used in the Grand Vin. It brings acidity and freshness and this lifts the wine and elevates the blackberry fruit beautifully. It will make 20-30 years even though it initially seems to be a more discreet and calm vintage.

18
Matthew Jukes, Matthew Jukes' Blog, April 2018
Read more tasting notes...

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Calon-Ségur features warm plums, cassis, baked cherries and mulberries, earth, meats and cedar on the nose with notes of lavender and olives. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant and intense with firm, fine-grained tannins and great length, finishing minerally. This wine was aged in 100% new French oak barrels for 20 months. The blend is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. 2022 - 2047

95
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (March 2020), March 2020

This is very delicate on the attack but it grows on the palate with firm and silky tannins that turn lightly chewy. Builds consistently. Compacted and tight.

94/95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2018

The 2017 Calon-Ségur is tentatively blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with pronounced black currants, crushed blackberries and fresh black plums with hints of cigar box, sandalwood and cinnamon stick plus a waft of mossy bark. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, energetic and fresh with layers of black fruit, perfumed incense and fragrant earth notions, lingering nicely with exotic spices coming through on the finish.

92/94
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (236), April 2018
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.