Chateau Capbern 2020

The origins of Château Capbern, a Saint-Estèphe-based wine estate, go back to the XVIIIth century, out of a wedding between the Rivière and Capbern families, and then Capbern and Gasqueton. A few years later, in 1894, the Capbern-Gasqueton purchase a certain… Calon Ségur! Generations succeeded to each other at the head of these two mythical crus of Saint-Estèphe until 2011, which marks the passing of Denise Gasqueton, last owner carrying that name. It is then that Suravenir purchases these estates and blows a new dynamic, with the respect of the history.

Capbern’s terroir features an extraordinary qualitative breeding ground, in the proper nature of the soils. The soils, well exposed and slightly sloping, favor the perfect maturation of the berries and benefit from a good draining.

Under the same management as Calon Ségur, its sister estate, Capbern is benefiting from a gravity fed vat house of 37 vats, and an ageing cellar in which the wines are going to mature for 18 months.

(Credit: Château Calon Segur)

''Another terrific Saint- Estèphe is the 2020 Château Capbern, which comes from the same team as Calon Ségur. (Current director Vincent Millet was brought on board in 2021.) Coming from 33 hectares of vines on sandy, gravelly, clay soils, the final blend is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The élevage spanned 18 months in 60% new French oak, and this beauty hit just 12.8% natural alcohol. Gorgeous cassis, violets, damp earth, iron, and classy oak all emerge on the nose, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with beautiful tannins, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and the vintage's pure, focused, age-worthy style front and center. Give bottles just 4-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades.'' Jeb Dunnuck, 2020 Bordeaux from Bottle (3/29/2023) Ratings: 95 Drink: 2027-2047

''Capbern is an exciting label to watch in St Estèphe, as it becomes increasingly sleek and complete. There is a punch of ripe fruit here, following the heat waves of the summer, and you find blackberry, damson, cocoa bean and pencil lead, but still plenty of juice to keep the flavours concentrated but flowing. 60% new oak, 3.8ph, 33hl/ha yield.'' Jane Anson, Best Pomerol 2020 Wines Tasted En Primeur (11/29/2022) Ratings: 92 Drink: 2026-2040

''The 2020 Capbern offers up aromas of sweet cassis, plums, pencil shavings, loamy soil and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and seamless palate that's polished, penetrating and dynamic. It's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot and the balance Merlot, produced by Vincent Millet and his team from Calon Ségur.'' William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (4/6/2023) Ratings: 91 Drink: 2025-2045

"The 2020 Capbern is composed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, weighing in with 14.1% alcohol. It is due to be aged for around 18 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 Capbern sings of black cherries, mulberries and redcurrant jelly, with hints of candied violets, wild sage and fertile loam. The medium-bodied palate has impressive verve and freshness, featuring soft, well-managed tannins, red and black berry layers and a mineral-tinged finish." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (5/20/2021), Rating: 91