The 1998 Château Calon-Ségur is a deep, earthy wine with aromas of leather, truffles, and black fruit, offering velvety tannins and freshness on the palate. According to The Wine Advocate (RP 93), it still has great aging potential, needing 10-15 more years to fully evolve. Jancis Robinson (JR 17) notes it is already classy with resolved tannins, making it enjoyable now or with further aging. 

The Wine Advocate | RP 93
Published: Jun 1, 2018
Drink: 2018-2033

The 1998 Calon-Segur, blended of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color with just a touch of brick and a very earthy/meaty nose with notions of new leather, smoked game, truffles, dusty soil, iron ore and mossy bark over a core of cr?me de cassis, preserved plums, spice cake and unsmoked cigars plus a waft of incense. The palate is medium-bodied and packed with spicy and earthy layers with velvety tannins, seamless freshness and great length. Give it 10 to 15 more years. 

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 17
Published: Nov 27, 2019
Drink: 2014-2030

Mid garnet with a ruby rim. Very fragrant. Sweet and round with tannins virtually resolved. Really quite classy with the freshness of the commune. Lightly dusty on the end. Very complete and savoury with good length. No austerity left.

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.