CHÂTEAU CALON SÉGUR
2022 3ème Cru Classé Saint Estèphe
The 2022 Calon-Ségur is another superb wine from this historic Saint-Estèphe third growth that began a comprehensive renaissance the better part of a decade ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with hints of fresh mint, burning embers, licorice and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, saline finish. The blend consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Vincent Millet observed that "when you tasted the Merlot, you were under the impression that you were tasting Cabernet." Rating: 96-98 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)
* 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.
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 100% new oak – will be matured for 20 months. 15% alc. 26 hl/ha. 3.8 pH. 57% of production went into this wine which equates to 70,000 bottles While 15% alcohol might seem to be a little elevated in this vintage compared to almost all of the other wines in this Report, the 2020 and 2018 vintages were also 15%, which are both perfectly balanced wines. 2022 is yet another incredible creation from Calon, and this time it packs more spice into its makeup than I have seen before. It appears that the Merlot has soaked up the barrel tones on the front palate, and then Cabernet takes up the baton on the middle palate and finish. They had very low yields at Calon. The berries were 20% smaller than usual, so this wine and its siblings are densely flavoured, luxurious and exotic. The key to this wine’s success is the careful handling that ensured the fruit gave up its perfume and flavours without any unwanted astringency. Despite the heat wave temperatures during the day, night-time temperatures were low, so the acidity is fine and crisp. This means there is tension throughout this wine, and it is intense, powerful and lusty but not heavy. This is a stunning, stylish and super-glossy creation for a wine of these dimensions, and it will shock Calon lovers with its bravado and generosity. Rating: 19+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2023)
This estate's vintage attains levels of alcohol and concentration that are impressive. It nevertheless finds its point of balance thanks to well preserved freshness whose thread of acidity adds liveliness to the finish in a minty touch. Very long. Rating: 97-98 La Revue du Vin de France (May 2023)
This is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, a little more Merlot this year as they have incorporated fruit from a parcel of Merlot planted on clay, now twelve years old, which hit grand vin quality in 2022. This has a very fine fragrance on the nose, showing much more floral perfume than the second wine and Capbern, with violets, rose petals and crushed black cherry to the fore, with a little of the vintage’s dark chocolate underneath. The palate is very convincing, showing a supple, sinewy and rather lithe construct through the middle, with a savoury core of blackberry and chocolate fruits, wrapped in a grip of tight-knit tannins. It finishes cleanly, with a very fine grip. This is a more elegant Calon this year, even if the alcohol is 15%. Rating: 95-97 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (May 2023)
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Fragrant Cabernet-dominated nose. Blackcurrant, blackcurrant leaf and floral notes. Dense and full but suave with plenty of mid-palate fruit, the tannins plentiful but refined. Touch of oak on the finish but good length and plenty of matière. (JL) 15% Drinking range: 2032 - 2048 Rating: 17.5 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
A very juicy red with redcurrant and creme de cassis as well as hints of nutmeg and cloves. It's full and polished with very pretty tannins that show length and focus. Traditional and typical for Calon with the tannin structure. A little closed today. But serious structure. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
The 2022 Calon-Ségur was cropped at 26hL/ha compared to 36hL/ha last year. Matured for 20 months in new oak, it has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and subtle tobacco scents. The 2022 is tight at first but opens with aeration (winemaker Vincent Millet remarked how the wine was much more expressive the week I tasted it in mid-April compared to the previous week). The palate is classically styled with impressive mid-palate depth. With strict tannins and multi-layered graphite-infused black fruit, this is reminiscent of some postwar Calon-Ségur's I have tasted. I wonder if slightly less vin de presse would have been better? Uncompromising, perhaps that might be its virtue, but it means that patience will be required. Drinking range: 2027 - 2055 Rating: 94-96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2023)
This is powerful, underlining how much last year's more softly sculpted wine was a departure from recent vintages of Calon, and back in my mind to the complicated 2018 vintage, where it was overly marked by the heat of the vintage. This is full on concentrated fruit, with strong tannins that build through the palate. Plenty of complexity with black truffles, cassis, olive paste, sandalwood and fresh mint on the finish, along with cloves and cinnammon spice. 3.8ph, 100% new oak, 26hl/h yields. 53% Grand Vin, higher than usual. Vincent Millet technical director. Harvest September 6 to 27. Drinking range: 2030 - 2046 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Apr 2023)
Château Calon Ségur
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at 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 £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
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). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.