Calon Segur - 2012

Wine Advocate 91: The 2012 Calon Ségur, has an opaque ruby/purple color, very sweet black raspberry, black cherry and currant fruit, underlying forest floor notes, wonderfully sweet tannin, surprising up-front opulence and beautiful purity, texture and length. This is an outstanding effort and a strong wine in 2012. Drink it over the next 20 years, as the acidity is quite low and the wine already approachable.

James Suckling 93: A silky and polished red with currant, walnut and black truffle character. Full body, silky tannins and a fine finish. It reminds me of the excellent 1995.

Vinous 91: The 2012 Calon Ségur is dark, powerful and intense. Smoke, game, tobacco and dark stone fruits open up in a distinctly virile, imposing wine. Quite frankly, what stands out most is how much Calon Ségur has come in the years since French insurer Suravenir Assurances bought the property in July 2012. In 2012 the blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. The wine spent 19 months in 100% new French oak barrels.

Decanter 95: This is the late-harvest year that the insurance group Suravenir acquired Calon Ségur. Picking began on October 1 and ended on October 13. Classy, elegant nose of ripe blueberry and black cherry with spicy overtones. Juicy, fleshy, satiny mouthfeel possessing elegant poise and freshness. This is a supremely elegant wine that is already approachable but ready to go the distance over the next decade.

Wine Enthusiast 96: Firm and structured, this beautifully concentrated wine has plenty of the dark tannins that come out of Cabernet Sauvignon in Saint-Estèphe while allowing room for juicy fruit. The wood aging is still showing, giving some spice to the wine. At the end, it's the density of the wine that's so impressive. Drink from 2024.

Wine Advocate 97: The 2020 Calon-Ségur is a brilliant wine from an estate in the ascendant. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, red berries, fresh mint, pencil shavings, violets and rose petals, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a vibrant core of fruit, powdery structuring tannins and a long, perfumed finish. Integrated and harmonious, this pure, concentrated and dynamic wine is one of the finest vintages that Vincent Millet and his team have produced to date.

James Suckling 96: Blueberries, blackberries, spearmint, currants and sweet spices on the nose. Mocha and walnuts, too. Lots of flavor here, with a medium to full body and muscular yet velvety tannins that melt seamlessly into the wine. Long, polished and delicious already. Keeps going. Better from 2025.

Vinous 94: The 2020 Calon Ségur has a perfumed, floral bouquet with violet-tinged black and blue fruit aromas and just a patina of new oak to be fully assimilated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. There's quite a strong sea influence here, with a tang of Japanese seaweed and cracked black pepper on the muscular finish. Like others in this flight, it will need time, but it is a lovely Saint-Estèphe. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Decanter 93: Fresh berries, quite ripe and forward on the nose, more fruity with some chocolate and cinnamon notes. Super-high acidity, really quite mouthwatering on initial impact, this has a nice weight and balance in the mouth, a soft plumpness and wide frame. Nothing too much, it keeps the intensity but also the focus. You do get a sense of the hot vintage in the slightly spiced undercurrent but this has a nice playfulness. It's bouncy and lively, really accessible, integrated, very slightly grippy tannins. Good push from start to finish. Round and smooth, easy to have with food, lovely generosity and openness while keeping the strict St-Estèphe touch.

Wine Enthusiast 97: This wine has a touch of spice to go with its powerful black currant flavors. It is concentrated, and the 78% Cabernet Sauvignon gives great structure and power. The wine has immense aging potential. Drink from 2028.

Wine Advocate 93: Revisited in bottle, the 2021 Calon-Ségur opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries mingled with aromas of violets, pencil shavings, lilac, Indian spices, cigar wrapper and grilled meats. Medium to full-bodied, dense and suave, with powdery tannins, lively acids and a penetratingly sapid and discreetly carnal finish, it appears to have lost a touch of aromatic precision during élevage, but it remains a compelling Calon-Ségur.

James Suckling 93: A juicy and caressingly astringent red with currant, berry and cedar aromas with citrus undertones. Medium body. Firm and silky with a delicious finish. A little tight at the end.

Vinous 97: A Saint-Estèphe of stature and vertical intensity, the 2021 Calon Ségur dazzles from the very first taste. Spice, menthol, licorice, black cherry, mint and espresso are some of the many notes that build with a bit of coaxing. The 2021 clocks in at a modest 12.9% in alcohol, yet it possesses tremendous density and textural resonance. What a wine! Tasted two times.

Decanter 95: Gentle cherry blossom fragrance with raspberry, cranberry and red cherry. Floral and super aromatic. Tangy and clean, a lovely crystalline aspect to the palate - nicely lean and straight, touching on austere but this also has an enjoyable creaminess that gives the weight and texture and sustains the wine to a long finish. I love the mineral ending, pure and precise. Really elegantly presented, not trying too hard. Very drinkable.

Wine Enthusiast 97: In the winery's style, this is seriously dense with solid tannins and concentration. It is a powerful wine with a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that has structure and dense black fruits, The wine is likely to age well.