The 2020 Château Calon Ségur is pure gold and another masterpiece from this estate. Harvested all in September and pulled from their 48 hectares of vines, the blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot that spent 20 months all in new French oak, and it hit 13.2% natural alcohol. My notes started and ended with "wow," and this riveting Saint-Estèphe offers a heavenly bouquet of red and black currants, truffly earth, iron, espresso, and tobacco leaf. With incredible purity of fruit, full-bodied richness, and ultra-fine tannins, it's a deep, pure, layered 2020 that deserves at least 7-8 years of bottle age and will cruise for 40-50 years in cold cellars. Hats off to the team at Calon Ségur.
Very deep perfumed nose; the 1% Petit Verdot is quite potent and intense with ripe fruit aromas. Super-smooth and silky on the palate however, just so juicy and lovely with ample balance. A lovely energy and freshness comes across as both sharp and well defined – succulent but remaining intense and linear in terms of structure. The weight comes from plump, ripe fruit – the blackcurrant, black cherry and plum offset by a cooling minerality and wet stone, pencil lead minerality. It has richness for sure, the concentration is there, but also sleight of hand, so well executed and long. Really very impressive.
TWI
98pts
The Wine Independent
The 2020 Calon Segur has a deep garnet-purple color. It comes bounding out of the glass with crème de cassis, blueberry pie, and kirsch notes, followed by hints of garrigue, cedar chest, and forest floor. Full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and bright acidity supporting the generous, muscular fruit, finishing long with lots of minerally sparks.
The 2020 Calon-Ségur is a brilliant wine from an estate in the ascendant. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, red berries, fresh mint, pencil shavings, violets and rose petals, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a vibrant core of fruit, powdery structuring tannins and a long, perfumed finish. Integrated and harmonious, this pure, concentrated and dynamic wine is one of the finest vintages that Vincent Millet and his team have produced to date.
This wine has a touch of spice to go with its powerful black currant flavors. It is concentrated, and the 78% Cabernet Sauvignon gives great structure and power. The wine has immense aging potential. Drink from 2028. (Cellar Selection)
Blueberries, blackberries, spearmint, currants and sweet spices on the nose. Mocha and walnuts, too. Lots of flavor here, with a medium to full body and muscular yet velvety tannins that melt seamlessly into the wine. Long, polished and delicious already. Keeps going. Better from 2025.
The 2020 Calon Ségur is a powerhouse. A blast of dark cherry fruit, menthol, tar, licorice and gravel infuse the 2020 with remarkable depth. Sumptuous and full-bodied, the 2020 shows all the richness and textural depth of the year. The tannins are imposing, but there's a good deal of fruit too. This is an especially opulent Grand Vin, in line with vintages like 2018 stylistically, but with 1% less alcohol. Tasted two times.
This is among the more backward wines of the vintage, showing a slightly burly mix of chestnut, warm paving stone, bay leaf and burnished leather notes amid a densely packed core of black currant and bitter plum reduction. Really riveted, with a warm cast iron spine and a mouthwatering savory edge driving the finish. Lovely character in this wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2040.