Le Marquis de Calon Ségur 2016

Le Marquis de Calon Ségur is more than a second wine of the legendary property, Château Calon Ségur.  It is a wine built exclusively for immediate enjoyment and according to the estate manager, Vincent Millet, the vines, “are separated out from the very beginning.” Le Marquis de Calon Ségur is meant to be a different interpretation of the terroir at this spectacular Saint-Estèphe estate.  Though many of the wines that come out of this region are known to possess a muscular, robust, and incredibly age worthy style, Le Marquis de Calon Ségur is a bit softer and has no shortage of accessibility.  For those familiar with the grand vin at Calon Ségur, they will find Le Marquis de Calon Ségur to be a nice contrast in terms of style – an undoubtably worthy purchase while waiting for a bottle of the grand vin to come around.

Château Calon Ségur was a part of the holdings of the illustrious Marquis de Ségur, who was affectionately known as the, “Prince of Vines”  throughout the Court of Versailles.  The Marquis owned three of the top Pauillac Estates besides Château Calon Ségur – Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, and Château Mouton Rothschild.  Both Château Lafite-Rothschild and Château Latour were classified as First Growth Estates in 1855 and though Mouton Rothschild was ranked a Second Growth property, it would later be re-classified as a First Growth in 1973. With all that in mind, Château Calon Ségur was a very special place to the Marquis, so much so in fact that he was known for saying, “I make wine at Latour, but my heart is at Calon.” The symbol of the estate is now a heart, to immortalize the property that captured the Marquis’ affections.

Château Calon Ségur was ranked as a Third Growth estate during Napoleon’s 1855 Classification and has consistently produced wine in the top echelon of quality vintage after vintage. A small team of 50 oversee operations in the 55 hectares walled-off vineyard. This is unique to the Left Bank estates in the Médoc. The terroir has a mixture of colorful clays and gravel which serve as a sponge, retaining water and giving the grapes a signature freshness.  The technical team takes great measures to ensure the wines here have finesse, and a lot of this is due to their gravity flow vat room and refusal to use any punch downs during the winemaking process. 

The estate is implementing an extensive replanting program scheduled to finish in 2032 increasing the percentage of Cabernet to 70% of its vineyards.  Initially, the wines of Château Calon Segur were energetic wines that were typical of the Saint-Estèphe region. Now these wines are purer, with more fruit and a startling intensity to them. Le Marquis de Calon Ségur has at least 70% of Merlot in the blend, adding a silky supple quality to the wine.  While great vintages of the grand vin may take a decade or more to unfold, Le Marquis de Calon Ségur can be enjoyed straight away.

Le Marquis de Calon Ségur is Château Calon Ségur’s Second Wine. It offers a different interpretation of the Calon terroir. With an average of 75% Merlot in the blends, Le Marquis de Calon Ségur is totally distinct from the First Wine. “It benefits from a true expression of its own”, underlines Vincent Millet. “The plots are separated out from the beginning.” Le Marquis de Calon Ségur provides immediate enjoyment, warmth and a velvety texture. It is carefully aged generally for 17 months in oak barrels, a third of which are new. Deliciously easy-drinking, silky and expressive, its charm comes to the fore, while at the same time bringing to our minds the elegance of the Grand Vin. (Credit: Château Calon Ségur)

"Blended of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 17 months in 30% new French oak, the 2016 Le Marquis de Calon-Ségur has a deep garnet-purple color and gives up gregarious scents of chocolate-covered cherries, black raspberries and cassis with hints of violets and cinnamon stick plus an underbrush hint. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy with a good core of layered black fruits and a perfumed finish." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (11/30/2018, Interim Issue), Rating: 90