The 2003 Château Calon-Ségur is a dense and youthful wine with aromas of mulberry, black currant, and cedarwood. James Suckling (JS 94) describes it as having a full, velvety texture and a long finish, almost Burgundian in style. The Wine Advocate (RP 93) states it’s reaching full maturity and will continue to age for another 10-15 years. Jancis Robinson (JR 16) notes it as dry, firm, and balanced but has already reached its peak for earlier enjoyment.

Jamesuckling.com | JS 94
Published: Jun 30, 2013

This shows so wonderfully now with a dense palate yet a delicate chocolate, mineral and walnut skin. Full and velvety. Wonderful with juicy length and a long finish. Almost Burgundian in texture.

The Wine Advocate | RP 93
Published: Aug 28, 2014
Drink: 2014-2029

This beautiful 2003 exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, a vigorous youthfulness, and plenty of mulberry, black currant and cherry fruit intermixed with notions of cedarwood, baking spices and roasted herbs. Ripe, medium to full-bodied, fresh and precise, this wine is just hitting full maturity where it should remain for another 10-15 years. 

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 16
Published: Mar 26, 2013
Drink: 2010-2018

Deep garnet. Ripe dried-fruit notes but quite dry on the palate. Savoury, firm and just in balance.

Calon-segur.fr

The Grand Vin of Calon Ségur mirrors its terroir. It is rare, authentic and stirs the soul. In the most natural way, it reveals both great delicacy and outstanding intensity. All the magic of Calon is in this balance. The wine is aged in new oak barrels for 20 months, the tannins of the oak integrating harmoniously over time with the tannins of the grapes. The style is brought by a Cabernet Sauvignon which expresses its finesse without arrogance. Elegance is to be found everywhere, in the purity of the wine’s flavours, in the delicacy of its texture, while its depth and length are also superb. The wine’s extraordinary ability to age many years in bottle is another feature of the estate. The 1947, 1953 and 1982 vintages, by way of example, still display astonishing signs of youth.

APPELLATION
Saint-Estèphe.
Third classified Growth in 1855.

CONSULTANT ŒNOLOGIST
Éric Boissenot.

SOIL
A thick layer of gravel laid down during the Quaternary Period. Predominantly clay
sub-soil from the Tertiary Period. At the summit of the gravel deposits, there is also
a fine layer of clay of lacustrine origin.

VINEYARD AREA
55 ha (136 acres).

AREA IN PRODUCTION
45 ha (50 ha planted).

GRAPE VARIETIES
57% Cabernet sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet franc, 2% petit Verdot.

AVERAGE AGE OF THE VINES
20 years.

TRAINING METHOD
Double Guyot.

PLANTING DENSITY
8,000 vines/ha.

HARVEST
Hand picking. A first selection of grapes on the vine. Mechanical sorting of the grapes by vibration, followed by hand sorting.

VINIFICATION
Temperature-controlled tronconical stainless-steel tanks. Vatting period for 18 to 21 days. Microbubbling. Co-inoculation, exogenous yeast and bacterias, in stainless steel tank at 25°C.

AGEING
20 months, 100% new barrels. Fining with egg white.