Château Calon Ségur 2023 en Primeur

The 2023 Château Calon Ségur is absolutely brilliant and clearly in the top handful of wines in the vintage. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, it has a stunning array of cassis and black raspberry-like fruits intermixed with smoky tobacco, graphite, and classy oak. Full-bodied, concentrated, and seamlessly textured, it has more mid-palate depth, richness, and length than just about every other wine out there.

Blackcurrant, blueberry, cedar, pine needle and black truffle here. I don't think much about the nose with barrel samples, but this is splendid. It's medium-bodied with very fresh acidity and fine, linear tannins that are long and lively. Energy here. Refined. Salty character at the last minute. I may like this better than 2022. A blend of 72% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, 12% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Nuances of ripe heart cherry and candied violet, rose petal, black forest berries, fine tobacco notes, some nougat, juicy, red cherry, finesse-rich structure, almost creamy texture, ripe, silky tannins, shows length and freshness, animating style with certain ageing potential.

The 2023 Calon-Ségur is another en primeur success for this resurgent Saint-Estèphe third growth. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, wild berries and plums, it's medium to full-bodied, cool and layered, with a deep and integrated core, terrific concentration, lively acids and refined structuring tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It's a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot that checks in at 14% alcohol.

The 2023 Calon Ségur is a wine for readers who can be patient. In many recent years, Calon Ségur has been quite showy, but this is not one of them. Bold acids and huge tannins dominate at this stage. Bright red-toned fruit is a signature, but the 2023 is a powerful, young Calon Ségur that will clearly need time to come together. Bright acids extend the finish beautifully. - Antonio Galloni. 

Puissant et onctueux, sans lourdeur, complexe dans les sensations tactiles, le tannin est archétypique du cru et unique en appellation saint-estèphe.