Château Calon-Ségur: Tasting & Drinking
Any critic who looks back to recent vintages of Château Calon-Ségur will note that, despite the success enjoyed by Edouard Gasqueton in the 1940s and 1950s, in the subsequent decades there was a decline in quality. There may have been all sorts of reasons for this, but they include low-density planting, an inappropriate marriage of variety and terroir, inattentive winemaking and a lengthy élevage leading to a drier style of wine.
In recent years, however, quality is once again in the ascendant, an achievement which cannot solely be ascribed to the actions of the late Madame Capbern-Gasqueton as the 1995 vintage seems to have been a turning point. 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 which greatly favoured the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wines of the left bank communes, but it was impressive all the same.
Other subsequent vintages have been noteworthy, particularly the 2000 (pictured below) 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-dominant wines, the 2009 vintage (assessed from barrel) was a model of Cabernet Sauvignon-based 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, and we have the talented Vincent Millet to thank for this.
Thereafter, aided by a gradually developing vineyard and new facilities, the wines of Calon-Ségur have been reclaiming past glories. The 2010 vintage was particularly strong, as was 2014, a much greater vintage in St Estèphe than it was further south, while 2015 – beset by rain this far north – was considerably weaker. Then came a run of top vintages; watch out for 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 vintages in particular, but middling vintages from this strong terroir also give pleasure, so likewise do not ignore 2023 and 2017. Likewise, older vintages such as 2011 and 2012 are outperforming expectations.
It is clear to me that, with the backing of the new owners, insurance firm Suravenir, Vincent Millet has been able to improve the quality of wines coming from this vineyard. Long may that continue. (9/9/10, updated 9/12/11, 19/8/12, 1/12/12, 1/6/13, 3/5/14, 26/3/20, 10/12/25)
