CHÂTEAU CALON SÉGUR
2014 3ème Cru Classé Saint Estèphe
66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Standing with Vincent Millet in his new spangly tasting room, you can sense there is a lot going on here, thanks to investment from new owners 'Suravenir'. You do, however, still taste the grand vin before the Marquis de Calon - as with less Merlot in the Calon, Vincent thinks you get a better view of each in this unorthodox order. The wine is super. Herbaceous on the nose, nice vegetal edge to the mid-palate too, but also a lovely richness. There is huge concentration to the ample rich, black cherry and soft prune fruit. The tight layers of flavour just peeking out from the dense core. There is super ripeness but also great balance, some good acidity and velevety tannins just give a touch of grip to the finish. Rating: 93 L&S (Apr 2015)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2014 Calon Ségur has a fresh and vibrant nose, a bit backward and broody, but there is concentration here, just tightly coiled at the moment. There are touches of iodine and sea spray present. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe tannins, quite dense and fleshy, but there is enormous weight and backbone on the back end that I think will see this mature in style. Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year-On tasting and Southwold 10-Year-On tasting. Drinking range: 2026 - 2045 Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2024)
Blackberry and cassis fruits, liquorice root, salted carramel, feels very much at the start of its drinking window, tannins beginning to smooth out, corners softened, tobacco notes rising from mid palate onwards. This is enjoyable and accomplished, with grip and character. 100% new oak. Two years after it had been sold by the Gasqueton family to Suravenir Insurance. Drinking range: 2024 - 2040 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, Decanter (Feb 2024)
Inky plum in colour, dusky rose on the rim, still vibrant and full of energy. This is excellent quality, combining crushed rocks, blackberry puree, bright plum and greengage fruits, juicy acidities. Conveys tension and backbone, and the salinity and finesse of ripe Cabernet Sauvignon on these gravel-clay soils. 3.7ph. Drinking range: 2022 - 2042 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, Decanter (Oct 2022)
The 2014 Calon-Ségur has a dense, ripe, powerful bouquet with layers of blackberry and bilberry fruit, crushed stone, black olive and just a hint of Indian ink. I love the audacity of this Saint Estèphe. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grippy tannin. This is a dense, broody, introspective wine with layers of black fruit laced with spice-box, black olive, maybe just a little greenness towards the finish, though I feel that this will be assimilated with time in bottle. Give it ages and ages to mature. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Drinking range: 2020 - 2045 Rating: 92+ Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2018)
Tasted blind. Concentrated and arguably too sweet for its own good. Overdone and unappetising. Not enough freshness. Modern winemaking rather than classic St-Estèphe. Drinking range: 2023 - 2034 Rating: 16.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Feb 2018)
The 2014 Calon Ségur is a real show-stopper. Unusually ripe, powerful and seductive, the wine exudes class. Myriad shades of plum, sweet red cherry, pomegranate, spice and blood orange are all on display. Wild flowers, tobacco and host of more aromatic notes develop in the glass. Above all else, though, the 2014 is a wine of pure power and breadth. This is yet another fabulous showing for the 2014 Calon Ségur, a wine that vies for top honors in this vintage. Don't miss it. The blend is 67 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 % Merlot, 15 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Petit Verdot. Drinking range: 2024 - 2054 Rating: 96+ Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2017)
On the darker side of the spectrum, with dark currant, plum and blackberry fruit, inlaid with ample dried bay and tobacco notes. Pepper and charcoal details fill in the finish, adding range and energy. A touch sauvage in style, this will have fans for sure. Drinking range: 2020 - 2030 Rating: 93 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Jan 2017)
The Château Calon-Ségur 2014 is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 19% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot cropped at 41hl/ha and aged in 100% new oak for what is intended to be 20 months. The alcohol comes in at 13.8%, which would have been higher if more Merlot had been retained. The first impression is one of the oak because coming straight after the Montrose '14 (élevage in 60% new oak) the wood element is more pronounced here. It is relatively opulent and high-toned compared to its Saint Estèphe counterparts, developing floral scents with time but never quite extricating itself from the winemaking. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin that lend this more chewiness than either Montrose or Cos d'Estournel. There is a lot of backbone to this wine, well focused with a good line of acidity, but again, I believe a more moderate use of new oak would have allowed the terroir to be expressed in what is a terroir-driven vintage. It is an impressive, you could almost say ambitious Calon Ségur, though I am seeking more personality via the terroir to be articulated. Tasted three times with consistent notes. Drinking range: 2020 - 2040 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2015)
Big, meaty nose and more richness than expected but very silky on the palate. A superb combination of delicacy and power - almost Burgundian compared to Cos and Montrose. Such vineyard depth and balance! (Outstanding St-Estèphe, Decanter.) Drinking range: 2019 - 2035 Rating: 95 Steven Spurrier (Apr 2015)
The 2014 Calon Ségur is silky, polished and exceptionally beautiful. Freshly cut flowers, mint, dark berries and sage are some of the notes that are pushed forward in a sweet, unctuous St. Estèphe endowed with tons of class and personality. Raspberry jam and crushed flowers add further shades of nuance. The 2014 captures a deeply intriguing blend of lifted aromatics, super-ripe, fruit, pulsating energy and polished tannins. Persistent and impeccably balanced throughout, the 2014 Calon Ségur is without question one of the wines of the vintage. The refined finish alone is striking. In 2014, the blend is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Calon Ségur remains one of the few classified growths the average consumer can still afford to buy by the case. As such, it is likely to be one of the very best wines readers will find for the money. Don't miss it Rating: 93-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2015)
Vibrant dark crimson. Very dense and not that communicative on the nose. But very impressive density, silky texture and refinement. Classic focused stuff with drive. Sufficiently ripe but not at all sweet. Long and truly St-Estèphe. Lots of energy here. Though it certainly isn’t opulent! Lots of tannins and St-Estèphe stoniness on the end. Pretty drying end. Less charm than Capbern but lots more classicism. Just cuts off a little suddenly (perhaps because of those younger vines). 13.8% Drinking range: 2024 - 2040 Rating: 17++ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2015)
The nose is firm the palate has depth brooding black fruits cassis and black cherry. Richer in the middle sweetness suppleness the richness of black cherry is backed by slightly fresher blackcurrant. There is the feel of balance and harmony the ripeness on the back palate giving way to fragrant freshness on the finish. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 89-93 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (Apr 2015)
By the very high standards of this château, which is often among my favourites, this is a slight disappointment, or rather was when I tasted it. The 100% new oak that has been used since 2009 on the grand vin seemed a little intrusive, adding tannin to a wine that is already pretty firm. Give it time. Drinking range: 2020 - 2032 Rating: 93 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2015)
This has a wonderful density and a velvety texture with so much fruit and richness. Full body, fine tannins and wonderful length. Gorgeous. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Mar 2015)
Château Calon Ségur
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.