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Goedhuis, May 2023, Score: 93-95
Ex-Château Margaux winemaker Vincent Millet was rightly proud of his team for their continued work reinvigorating Ch Calon Ségur, in a year that was climatically the polar opposite of 2021. The summer heat isn’t perceptible on the nose in any way. Initially closed but dense; scents of warm cherry, blossom, and ripe plum-stone drift from the glass, wrapped in cedar and crushed stone. In the mouth there’s a cool succulence, yet enough weight to balance the firm leathery tannins, and crunchy fresh acidity. A bitter chocolate edge from the oak rounds off the mid-palate, leading to a fine-grained conclusion.
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Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 94-96
The 2022 Calon-Ségur was cropped at 26hL/ha compared to 36hL/ha last year. Matured for 20 months in new oak, it has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and subtle tobacco scents. The 2022 is tight at first but opens with aeration (winemaker Vincent Millet remarked how the wine was much more expressive the week I tasted it in mid-April compared to the previous week). The palate is classically styled with impressive mid-palate depth. With strict tannins and multi-layered graphite-infused black fruit, this is reminiscent of some postwar Calon-Ségur's I have tasted. I wonder if slightly less vin de presse would have been better? Uncompromising, perhaps that might be its virtue, but it means that patience will be required. Drink 2027-2055
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 91-93
I tasted the 2022 Calon Ségur two times during my recent trip to Bordeaux. On both occasions it was forbiddingly tannic, much moreso than most wines of the year. Dark-toned fruit, gravel, cured meat, leather, spice and tobacco lend intensity, but the incisive nature of the tannins never settles down. Perhaps élevage will help. We will see. My impression is that the property really struggles in excessively hot years. Drink 2030-2052.
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 96-98
The 2022 Calon-Ségur is another superb wine from this historic Saint-Estèphe third growth that began a comprehensive renaissance the better part of a decade ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with hints of fresh mint, burning embers, licorice and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, saline finish. The blend consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Vincent Millet observed that "when you tasted the Merlot, you were under the impression that you were tasting Cabernet."
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 95-96
A very juicy red with redcurrant and creme de cassis as well as hints of nutmeg and cloves. It's full and polished with very pretty tannins that show length and focus. Traditional and typical for Calon with the tannin structure. A little closed today. But serious structure.
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Decanter, April 2023, Score: 96
Rich and vibrant on the nose, smells concentrated and alcoholic. Crisp and clean on the palate however with bite to the cherry, plum and blackcurrant fruit alongside a hint of sweet strawberry and herbal raspberry on the mid palate that gives some instant energy before the clear concentration and heft of the wine shows through. Not so much in the texture but in the ripe flavours, cool minty and stone edged tannins and clear liquorice and clove spice. Still taught but detailed with elements of generosity. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.65pH. A yield of 26hl/ha. Ageing 17 months, 30% new oak.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 19+
2022 is yet another incredible creation from Calon, and this time it packs more spice into its makeup than I have seen before. It appears that the Merlot has soaked up the barrel tones on the front palate, and then Cabernet takes up the baton on the middle palate and finish. They had very low yields at Calon. The berries were 20% smaller than usual, so this wine and its siblings are densely flavoured, luxurious and exotic. The key to this wine’s success is the careful handling that ensured the fruit gave up its perfume and flavours without any unwanted astringency. Despite the heat wave temperatures during the day, night-time temperatures were low, so the acidity is fine and crisp. This means there is tension throughout this wine, and it is intense, powerful and lusty but not heavy. This is a stunning, stylish and super-glossy creation for a wine of these dimensions, and it will shock Calon lovers with its bravado and generosity.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 97-99
A wine that's going to flirt with perfection, the 2022 Château Calon Ségur is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, harvested between September 12 and 26, from yields of 40 hectoliters per hectare. Its deep purple hue is followed by a heavenly bouquet of cassis, smoke tobacco, flowery incense, and toasted spices. This ripe, sexy, full-bodied beauty has ultra-fine tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a great finish. Its tannins, as well as its overall balance and purity, are just about off the charts, and this remarkable effort shows how successful the northern part of the Médoc was in 2022. Bravo!
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 94
This is powerful, underlining how much last year's more softly sculpted wine was a departure from recent vintages of Calon, and back in my mind to the complicated 2018 vintage, where it was overly marked by the heat of the vintage. This is full on concentrated fruit, with strong tannins that build through the palate. Plenty of complexity with black truffles, cassis, olive paste, sandalwood and fresh mint on the finish, along with cloves and cinnammon spice. 3.8ph, 100% new oak, 26hl/h yields. 53% Grand Vin, higher than usual. Vincent Millet technical director. Harvest September 6 to 27.
