Chateau Calon Segur 3eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 2023

Precise and confident texture to this wine, has higher levels of both Cabernets in 2023 than in 2022, having reached exceptional maturity, and personally I feel that have recaptured the heart and spirit of Calon. Skilfully made, love the violet peony savoury character, it's sappy and has liqourice root and squid ink salinity, along with tons of cassis and cigar box. The blend for this was built on Cabernet, and you can feel it. My favourite Calon since the 2020 vintage, hands down. 100% new oak, director Vincent Millet.

The 2023 Calon Ségur is every bit as impressive as it was en primeur. Today, I find it a bit tight texturally, but that won't be an issue in time. Dark-toned fruit, lavender, dried herbs, licorice, menthol, gravel and chocolate are some of the notes that take shape in the glass. Cabernet Sauvignon is very much front and center. The 2023 is a wine of reserve; I won't be surprised if it is even better in a few years.

Sweet and fresh bramble berry notes on the nose. Some toast, liquorice, dark chocolate, tobacco, cedar and clove. Succulent and supple, this has a lovely energy and focus but with density and bite at the same time. Chalky, fleshy tannins fill the mouth but at the same time as a liquorice and slate flavour lingers on the cheeks. Both fruity and lean and straight at the same time. Not yet so harmonised, but there’s finesse and refinement to the expression and nothing feels out of place or too much. Has a juicy centre and a touch of sweet strawberries that lift the expression which is so pleasant. Ends clean and grippy. It’s very good and you can't fault the refinement, clarity and precision on show. More Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend than last year at 72%. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 55% grand vin production. 3.7pH. 45hl/ha yield. Ageing 20 months, 100% new.

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.

Checking in as a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in 60% new oak, the 2023 Château Calon Ségur is a big, fleshy, opulent style of Calon that shows the riper side of the vintage. Its deep purple hue is followed by black and blue fruits, smoky tobacco, loamy earth, and graphite on the nose. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has ripe, round tannins and considerable baby fat at this stage, which is rare for a 2023. Give bottles 4-5 years to gain some harmony and elegance, and it should see its 30th birthday in fine form. Drink 2030-2053.

A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2023 Calon Segur has a deep garnet-purple color. After a swirl or two, notes of fresh blackcurrants, juicy blackberries, and redcurrant jelly leap from the glass, followed by hints of rose oil, cumin seed, and mint tea. The medium to full-bodied palate is bursting with bold red and black fruit flavors, supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and spicy. Nicely done!

The 2023 Calon-Segur is another en primeur success for this resurgent Saint-Estephe 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, aged entirely in new oak, is quintessential Saint-Estèphe on the nose, with blackberry and wild hedgerow scents, slate and graphite, paradoxically standoffish but luring you in. Impressive delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins. Quite linear in style, a little more peppery than I recollect from barrel, it has an insistent grip and admirable sustain on the aftertaste. Very fine.