Chateau Calon Segur 3eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 2015

Aromas of blackberries, currants, cedar and tobacco. Full-bodied, layered and dense. Great fruit yet tight and structured. A classically proportioned red with so much intensity. A wine for the future.

Try it in 2022

As Vincent Millet points out, in the context of St-Estèphe, '2015 is the opposite of 2014, marked by a very wet growing season' that included 180mm of rain from August to September. Although the first nose expresses caramel, spice and slightly woody notes, a quick airing of the wine reveals its elements of black fruit, liquorice, and graphite. More expressive is the lovely satin-like mouthfeel possessing real power, shaped by finely etched tannins and harmonious yet energetic acidity. Without a doubt, this is a superb wine that will require cellaring before unfurling all it has to offer in the coming years.

Drink 2022 - 2035

Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.

The 2015 Calon-Ségur has a fresh and very well-defined bouquet of raspberry, wild strawberry and crushed stone aromas, very focused and beautifully integrated new oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, well-judged acidity, lightly spiced and quite saline toward the marine-tinged finish that fans out beautifully. There is classiness in this Saint-Estèphe and it should age with grace.

The blend is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot.

The 2015 Calon Ségur is a very pretty, if somewhat one-dimensional wine with good brightness in its floral-infused red berry fruit. The purity of aromas and flavours is striking, but the texture, dimension and complexity of the very best years are elusive. The 2015 is an attractive, mid-weight Calon Ségur to drink while some of the more recent vintages, especially the 2014 and 2016, are left to age in the cellar.

Drink 2023 - 2040

The 2015 Calon Ségur checks in slightly behind the 2014 and is a more sexy, rounded, forward effort that displays fabulous sweetness in its cassis and black currant fruits, spice, graphite, and floral aromas and flavors. With soft tannins, a lovely, elegant texture, and medium to full body, drink it any time over the coming 2+ decades.

Drink 2018 - 2038

Composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Calon-Segur was aged in 100% new French oak barrels for 20 months. It has a deep garnet-purple colour and a nose of warm blackberries, cassis, black cherries and licorice with touches of roses and dark chocolate. The medium-bodied palate is firm and chewy with good concentration and a spicy finish.

Drink 2020 - 2042