Laguna Cellar Wine of the Month - Febuary 2024

If you expected to have hearts in your eyes for Valentine's Day, Marquis Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur, nicknamed “The Prince of Vines” by Louis XV, inadvertently ensured his wine caused them.

In an unprecedented way unfollowed by anybody since his days, the Marquis simultaneously owned four famous estates: Château Lafite (Rothschild), Château Latour, and Château Mouton (Rothschild), and Château Calon (Ségur). Reportedly, he said: “I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon.” Thanks to his sentiment, a heart was later added to the wine label of Château Calon Ségur. It became the unofficial wine for Valentine’s Day all over the world.

Amongst our selection for the month of Valentine’s, Le Marquis de Calon 2019 reigns supreme for the occasion. It is a wine that whispers sweet nothings to the soul with each sip. Its velvety texture caresses the palate while notes of ripe black fruits and delicate florals dance harmoniously, creating a symphony of seduction that lingers long after the last drop is savored. What distinguishes Le Marquis de Calon is its exquisite balance between power and refinement. Although presenting a certain density and an assertive tannic structure, it maintains excellent elegance and harmony. The finish is long and persistent, leaving a delicate and seductive imprint that invites contemplation and delight.

Joining this amorous ensemble is Château La Clotte 2015. This wine is made by the Vauthier family, known for their venerable wine Château Ausone. It comes from a similar terroir to Ausone and embodies the passion and depth of a timeless love affair. Its rich flavors of dark berries, chocolate, and spice ignite the senses and leave a lingering warmth reminiscent of a tender embrace shared on a moonlit night. This wine is ideal for pairing with rich and flavorful dishes, such as grilled red meats, game dishes, or mature cheeses. Offering an unforgettable sensory experience that captures the very essence of the Saint-Émilion.

Château Saint-Pierre 2017 adds a touch of elegance to our Valentine's celebration with its refined character and graceful demeanor from Saint-Julien. Delicate aromas of red currants, violets, and subtle oak notes enchant the senses, while its silky-smooth palate leaves an indelible impression, like a gentle caress on the skin.

Completing our quartet of romance is Henri de Villamont Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Feusselottes 2013, a wine that exudes sophistication and allure. Chambolle-Musigny is not only one of the prettiest villages in Côtes de Nuits but also one of the smallest. It has a reputation for producing refined, perfumed, and delicate wine (some critics call it feminine, for lack of better words). Chambolle-Musigny has 24 Premier Crus and 2 Grands Crus: Musigny and Bonnes-Mares. Rich, fragrant, and complex, it lines the palate with silk and lace. Its delicate but fleshy texture in no way detracts from its solid and durable structure.

We hope you indulge in these exquisite wines with your loved ones on Valentine's Day.

Château La Clotte 2015 - "This was the first vintage for the Vauthier family of Château Ausone off this tiny three-hectare estate. Composed of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 85% new, the 2015 La Clotte displays a medium to deep garnet-purple color and a very spicy nose of cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and allspice over core of red and black currants, mulberries and black soil plus a waft of violets. Full-bodied and decadently fruited with a firm backbone of very ripe, beautifully velvety tannins, it has a lively backbone providing loads of lift throughout the very long finish." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (2/21/2018), Ratings: 95+, Drink: 2022-2044

"Made by Alain Vauthier and from a similar terroir to Ausone, yet with a different exposition, the 2015 Château La Clotte is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon raised in 85% new French oak. Possessing an incredible elegance and purity, with medium to full-bodied richness and notes of cassis and black raspberry fruits, underbrush, damp earth and subtle oak, it has a striking floral component, a great mid-palate, and sweet tannin, all suggesting it’s going to keep for at least 10-15 years." - Jeb Dunnuck (11/30/2017) Rating 94, Drink: 2018-2033

Le Marquis de Calon Ségur 2019 -"Deep purple-black colored, the 2019 Le Marquis de Calon-Ségur wafts out of the glass with fragrant potpourri, garrigue and Darjeeling tea scents over a core of redcurrant jelly, plum preserves and blackcurrant pastilles plus a touch of cracked black pepper. The full-bodied palate has a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins with loads of freshness supporting the crunchy black fruits, finishing long and savory." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (6/17/20), Rating: (90-92)

Château Saint-Pierre 2017 - "Just as it was from barrel, the 2017 Saint-Pierre is arrestingly beautiful. Black cherry, plum, graphite, spice, new leather, licorice and smoke infuse the 2017 with tons of character. Readers will find a bold, unctuous Saint-Julien bursting at the seams with personality. As always, Saint-Pierre is a dark, brooding Saint-Julien that shows the more virile side of the appellation off to great effect." - Antonio Galloni, vinous (March, 2020), Ratings: 95, Drink: 2024-2037

"The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Saint-Pierre is a little reticent, giving glimpses at warm cassis, baked plums, tobacco, and pencil shavings notes with a touch of forest floor. Medium-bodied with a muscular core of sustained black fruit, it has a grainy frame and plenty of freshness, finishing with impressive length. The blend is currently 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/27/2018, Issue 236), Ratings: 91-93