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Château Calon-Ségur

It was late afternoon as we trudged up the path towards the complex of buildings at Château Calon-Ségur. We were in the dying days of winter and were looking forward to spring, although our environment gave little clue to that effect; the ambient temperature was low, and all around us the vineyards were heavily waterlogged following a recent deluge. This downpour had created an extensive network of miniature lagoons all across the vineyard, each one lapping at the feet of several or indeed many vines, the shores that surrounded these diminutive seas a dark, glistening mud-brown. And the vines themselves gave no clue as to the impending season, row after row showing hardly a sign of life. On reflection, given the dreary weather Bordeaux had been experiencing, perhaps their stoical inactivity was in fact rather wise.

We were seven in number, a small party, although with a heavyweight contingent, including one proprietor of a château in Pessac, and one British Master of Wine. We were here to taste the wines of Madame Denise Capbern-Gasqueton, onetime redoubtable virago of Calon-Ségur. Renowned for turning away interested tasters, regardless of status or breed, we nevertheless anticipated no trouble; after all, we had an appointment, and we were on time for this rendezvous. And so it was with some surprise that on reaching the door to the chai we found it locked, and the area around it to be quite deserted.

Investigating, we soon espied light and movement from behind the shutters of the attractive château that stands adjacent to the cellars, and eventually contact was made with the one within; a whispered conversation, through a just-cracked shutter ensued. Tasting had finished some time ago, it seemed. Madame Gasqueton's staff had been sent home for the day, the chai was locked, the bottles put away, and no, Madame would not be entertaining us herself. You have an appointment? That is of no concern now, tasting has finished. Goodbye.

Seven once eager and now deflated tasters left, their day devoid of a Calon-Ségur experience beyond this curt rebuttal. Some tried to remain upbeat, the day already rich in vinous experiences. There are, after all, plenty more châteaux in the wine-dark sea of Bordeaux. One was disappointed; after all, having gone to the trouble of making an appointment it seems only fair that the other party should keep their side of the deal. The Pessac-proprietor was perhaps the most scathing; eminently professional, young, motivated and in the ascendant, the concept of turning away interested tasters seemed anathema to him. Not just interested passers-by, but wine professionals from important foreign markets, who held an appointment. But Calon-Ségur is a famous name, of course, and Madame Gasqueton had been incumbent here a long time. The wine sells. There is less of a need here for marketing than at some other estates.

Whatever the reasons, suffice to say this made for an unforgettable first visit to Calon-Ségur. Although obviously it was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Fast forward quite a number of years to 2010 and I returned to Calon-Ségur, this time in the midst of the primeur tastings. With a great vintage on show, and perhaps more importantly régisseur Vincent Millet on hand to talk through the wines, this time there was no problem gaining entry. The wine in question was the 2009 vintage of course, a wine which embodied the elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon cuvées in that peculiarly rich year. All in all, this was a much more fitting welcome to Calon-Ségur and its wines than I had previously received. In my mind I filed the château and proprietor alongside Philippe Foreau of Clos Naudin in Vouvray; like Foreau, Madame Gasqueton was an intriguing and perspicacious individual who made engaging, sometimes alluring wines; access to these domaines may not easily be granted, but perseverance will bring dividends in that respect, and the wines are in both cases certainly worth the effort.

Château Calon-Ségur: a History

Like its near neighbour Phélan-Ségur, Calon was once part of the great Ségur estate, a substantial domaine which at one time or another encompassed not only Lafite but also Latour and Mouton. But this was in the 18th century, by which point Calon was already an ancient estate which had been in existence for at least five hundred years, its origins lying in the fiefdom of the Lords of Lesparre. Writing in Grands Vins (University of California Press, 1995), Clive Coates provides the earliest evidence relating to the domaine, this being the existence of a Monseigneur de Calon, a Bishop of Poitiers in 1157. The domaine passed through many hands before it came to the much celebrated Prince des Vignes, Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur; the Gombard family held tenure here for at least three generations during the 14th century, the property passing to the de Pomés and then the d'Albret families thereafter. Alain d'Albret gave the estate to Jéhan de Lur in 1481, before it passed through the ownership of Pierre de Marsan to Jean de Gasq. It was not until the early years of the 18th century that Nicolas-Alexandre acquired the estate, following his marriage to a Gasq heiress. The Marquis de Ségur was very fond of his new possession it seems, and no account of Calon-Ségur is complete without reporting his affirmation that "I make my wine at Lafite and Latour but my heart is in Calon" - a quote no doubt responsible for the existence of the numerous heart motifs that are dotted all around Calon-Ségur, on walls and fireplaces (like that below) and on even the wine label itself.

Despite his openly declared emotional attachment to Calon-Ségur the Marquis relinquished the estate before his death, the new landlord being his nephew Alexandre de Ségur-Calon. It was bequeathed in turn to the next generation, Nicholas-Marie-Alexandre, who being riddled with debt felt it necessary to sell his grand inheritance, an estate now graced by a substantial château, in 1778. The buyer was Etienne Théodore Dumoulin, who seems to have done little with it other than bequeath it to his children upon his death in 1806. Of his three offspring it was one of his sons, also Etienne Théodore, who took control. His attention was drawn to part of the estate, a plot of land to the south of the Calon vineyard and adjacent to the Gironde, entitled La Lande de l'Escargeon, the situation of which was such that it clearly had potential as a vineyard. Entranced by its possibilities, Théodore cleared the heather and scrub, revealing the gravelly soil beneath, land eminently suitable for the vine. Planting was underway by 1815, with good results. By 1820 Dumoulin had expanded the vineyard and erected a small château, and eventually he divided the estate into two. His new venture at La Lande de l'Escargeon he kept, this being the origin of Montrose; the original vineyards he sold off, these vines being the Calon-Ségur we know today. The new proprietor of this freshly defined vignoble was Firmin de Lestapis.

The Lestapis family owned a number of other vineyards along the length of the Médoc, although none of similar standing to their latest acquisition. Nevertheless it seems as though the estate was in good hands, as production increased and the 1855 classification placed Calon on the third level, a very respectable effort considering it had effectively been discarded by the Dumoulins. Sadly though, this strong performance was not upheld, and as the 20th century loomed the estate was put up for sale once again following a short period of decline. It was at this point that the estate came into the hands of the modern-day proprietors, the Gasqueton family.

Madame Denise Capbern-Gasqueton

The deal was closed in 1894, the new owners Georges Gasqueton and his uncle Charles Hanappier, the pair having handed over half a million francs for the château and vineyards. Gasqueton already had some experience in the business of viticulture and vinification, being proprietor of Château Capbern-Gasqueton, a property which was little-known until it stormed onto the en primeur scene with the 2009 vintage following a glowing recommendation from leading UK critic Jancis Robinson. The Hanappier family, meanwhile, were descended from a négociant from Orléans.

Although in joint ownership it was the Gasquetons that were largely responsible for revitalising Calon-Ségur, starting with Georges in 1931 and after his death in 1962 it was Edouard and his wife Elaine who took on the mantle. It was during Edouard's tenure that Calon-Ségur saw the most dramatic phase of its 20th century rejuvenation, the wines climbing to an ascendancy which placed the château high in the St Estèphe ranking, eclipsing the efforts not only at Montrose and Cos d'Estournel but also at many supposedly superior estates beyond the communal boundary.

Shortly before his death Edouard ceded control of the estate to his son Philippe who also that year acquired Château du Tertre in Margaux, maintaining control of both estates for more than three decades, his incumbency ending with his death in 1995. At that point his widow Denise Capbern-Gasqueton took the reins, selling off du Tertre to Eric and Louise Albada Jelgersma of Château Giscours. Contemporary commentators may well have expected a similar deal with Calon-Ségur, but this was not to be the case. The Veuve Gasqueton grasped the iron with both hands, and despite being later in life than many new proprietors in Bordeaux she set to her new job with gusto, running the estate, supervising the vineyards, making the wine and, when the mood would take her, turning away eager but unwanted visitors. Although her tenure was successful it was relatively short, coming to an end 16 years later in September 2011, when Denise Capbern-Gasqueton passed away at the very respectable age of 87. With this sad event the running of the estate has passed down the female line, to her daughter Hélène and granddaughter Isabelle, which somehow seems very appropriate.

The Vineyards

The château and buildings lie to the northwest of the village of St Estèphe, and the vineyards lie in a large block to the south of the château with its attractive gardens, to the southeast towards the village, and to the east and northeast out towards the Gironde, which lies a little less than 1 kilometre away. Surrounding the vineyards is a low wall, a feature very common in Burgundy but remarkably rare in Bordeaux. To the south of the village are the other four classified properties in this commune, Montrose sitting closest to the Gironde, while Cos d'Estournel, neighbouring Cos Labory and nearby Lafon Rochet all sit on the D2 at the southernmost limit of the appellation, which makes Calon-Ségur the northernmost of all the estates classified in 1855.

The soils reflect the proximity of the Gironde, the aforementioned topsoil and brown clay mixed with gravel, and also in some areas sand. These upper layers extend perhaps five metres downwards, and beneath that there is limestone, the classic calcaire de St Estèphe which runs beneath this appellation. The vines are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, accounting for approximately 55% of the vineyard, the remainder mostly Merlot with a small percentage of Cabernet Franc.

Vinification and Wines

Under Philippe's tenure the wines were made by André Ellisade but there is now a new régisseur named Vincent Millet, a graduate of Château Margaux who arrived at Calon-Ségur in 2006. He has an impressive array of facilities to hand, including enamel-lined and temperature-controlled stainless steel vats which replaced the wooden vats (which remain in the cuverie) in 1973. There are first- and second-year underground cellars for the wine undergoing élevage, which is typically 18 months before bottling, in wood which is typically one-third new each vintage. The grand vin is Château Calon-Ségur, of which there are typically 20 000 cases per annum and there is a second wine, Marquis de Calon, of which there are perhaps 3300 cases each year.

Any critic who looks back to recent vintages of this wine will note that, despite the success enjoyed by Edouard Gasqueton in the 1940s and 1950s, in the subsequent decades there was a falling off in quality. One possible explanation for this may be found if we turn again to Clive Coates in Grands Vins, who points the finger of blame at an inappropriately lengthy élevage, which was a rigid 24 months even in weaker vintages. In recent years, however, quality is once again in the ascendant, an achievement which can not solely be ascribed to the actions of Madame Gasqueton as the 1995 vintage seems to be taken as a turning point by many. Nevertheless, under her tenure more recent vintages still seem to have garnered much praise. Tasting the 1996 in its youth I was certainly taken by the substance and elegant purity of fruit expressed by the wine, admittedly a Médoc-wide feature of the vintage but impressive all the same. Other intervening vintages have been noteworthy, particularly the 2000 (which lies in my cellar, not yet broached) but it is perhaps the 2009 vintage which I mentioned in the opening of this profile that is the most remarkable. Bucking the trend for the vintage of rich, sometimes alcoholic, Merlot-infused wines, the 2009 Calon-Ségur was a model of Cabernet finesse, the blend being 92% this variety and just 8% Merlot. There is more than a simple desire for quality in this assemblage, but something rather daring too. Calon-Ségur has put its black dog behind it, I feel, and I am certainly looking forward to tasting more from this estate in the future, wines which will be the work of Hélène Gasqueton and Vincent Millet for the foreseeable future. I'll still make certain I have an appointment though, just in case. (9/9/10, updated 9/12/11)

Contact details:
Address: 33180 St Estèphe
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 59 30 08
Fax: +33 (0) 5 56 59 71 51
GPS: 45.267125, -0.777862

Château Calon-Ségur - Tasting Notes

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Château Calon-Ségur (St Estèphe) 2009: Cabernet Sauvignon 90% (extremely high - contrast with 2005 when this variety accounted for 60%), 7% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Alcohol 13.5%. Nice appearance in the glass, lightly creamy and vibrant. Lovely crisply defined but sweet and ripe fruits on the nose, blackcurrant and cherry. Lots of good substance on the palate, quite fleshy and broad and full of fruit, but underneath a gritty and ripe and gradually mouth-coating and appealing layer of tannins. Nicely defined, a good frame to the fruit here, the components each gently joining the fray to give a sense of a rich and balanced wine. This is all very harmonious, despite its youth. Vigorous, perhaps a touch reserved in terms of character which I like. What impresses most is the tannic finesse, I keep coming back to this aspect of the wine. Gently fading length. Delicious wine with great potential. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17.5-18.5+/20 (March 2010)

Château Calon-Ségur (St Estèphe) 2006: A darker hue than some. Still a very fresh style aromatically though; there is a really lovely layer of fruit, slightly earthy, quite dense, but with a clean and crunchy edge to what concentration there is here. Good substance on entry, very broad, fairly well-defined edges, just a touch of soft oiliness to the substance and texture of the wine. Lots of good supporting structure though, some robust tannins in evidence, and bright acid too. This will need longer than many to come around but it has promise. From a 2006 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 16.5+/20 (November 2010)

Château Calon-Ségur (St Estèphe) 2005: Wow, this has a very deeply characterful and intense nose, with very dark and fairly pure fruit, just tinged with a little soot. Ethereal, perfumed, rather gravelly, certainly characterful, this is quite enticing. On the palate it starts with a slightly confected edge to the fruit, but this disappears to leave through the midpalate a brooding presence of massive, somewhat overbearing tannins. There is dark fruit behind it, a moderate texture, and fairly fresh acidity, but the extraction here is huge. There is some good substance to help support it though. It will need 20 years to come round, but if the rest of the wine holds out this could be great. From a 2005 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 18+/20 (November 2009)

Château Calon-Ségur (St Estèphe) 1996: Gorgeous colour. Fresh coffee grounds on the nose, with some rich, inky fruit. Fat and richly textured on the palate, which is loaded with fruit. Another wine with a delicious mineral and stone edge to the luscious fruit. A very nicely crafted wine. From a 1996 Bordeaux tasting. 17.5+/20 (April 2007)