Château Calon Ségur - A Gift for Wine Lovers

Not sure what to gift the wine lover in your life this Valentine's Day? Consider Château Calon Ségur.

A hundred years before the modern-day era of 1855 Bordeaux Classification, there lived a famous winemaker in Bordeaux.  He was the Marquis Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur (1696 - 1755),  who was given the nickname “The Prince of Vines” by Louis XV following a glowing introduction to the royal court.  During his time, the Marquis de Ségur was considered the consummate winemaker with the magic touch in the whole of Europe.  In an unprecedented way unfollowed by anybody since his days,  he simultaneously owned these famous estates: Château Lafite (later known as Lafite Rothschild after Baron James de Rothschild bought it in 1868), Château Latour, Château Mouton (which became Mouton Rothschild in due course), and Château Calon (which later added Ségur to its name).  Exactly 100 years after his death, Lafite and Latour would be classified in 1855 as First Growths, Mouton as a Second Growth, and Calon Ségur as a Third Growth.

They say, “home is where the heart is”. Perhaps that’s how the Marquis de Ségur felt about Calon Ségur.  He lived at the estate, and was known for making the statement:

“I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon”

These words have forever marked the history of the property.  In the following century, the heart was engraved in the stonework of the château.  It later made onto the wine label after being recognized for its brilliant marketing potential.  Nowadays, around Valentine's Day, wine lovers the world over seek out Calon Ségur to celebrate their romantic relationships as well as their vinous sentiments.

In Japan, Château Calon Ségur is arguably the most popular wine around this time of the year.  The heart, obviously, goes a long way and crosses borders.  This phenomenon is even acknowledged in the Japanese pop culture dominated by manga.  In their manga tome on French wine, The Drops of God, Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto featured Château Calon-Ségur.

Château Calon Ségur was ranked as a Third Growth, yet many critics argue that its wine rivals its neighbors in terms of quality.  It is one of the oldest estates in St-Estéphe, with origins dating back to the Gallo Roman era.  It rose to prominence when the Marquis took over the estate, and thus began the immortalized love affair between man and vine.  After the Marquis passed, the property changed hands throughout the centuries, but one constant remained – a passion devoted to crafting excellent wines.


The 55-hectare walled-off vineyard has a mixture of colorful clays and gravel which serve as a sponge, retaining water and giving the grapes a signature freshness.  The wines of Calon Ségur do not have the typical chunky and awkward backwardness of many St-Estéphes.  The technical director, Vincent Millet, takes great measures to ensure the wines here have finesse, and a lot of this is due to their gravity flow vat room.  It is no coincidence that Calon Ségur bears the same initials as its reigning grape varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate is implementing an extensive replanting program scheduled to finish in 2032 increasing the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon to 70% of its vineyards. The team at Calon Ségur understands that consistent excellence requires passion and devotion.  The wines here are not crafted out of obligation, they are a true labor of love. 


If you are interested in opening a bottle for your loved one this Valentine’s Day, may we suggest vintages 2005, 2008 and 2014.  Wine tariffs have cut supplies of French wine across the country, we are fortunate to have these two vintages that have spent sufficient time aging in the bottle.