Castle Calon Ségur - Saint-Estèphe 2012

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2015

The 2012 Calon Ségur, has an opaque ruby/purple color, very sweet black raspberry, black cherry and currant fruit, underlying forest floor notes, wonderfully sweet tannin, surprising up-front opulence and beautiful purity, texture and length. This is an outstanding effort and a strong wine in 2012. Drink it over the next 20 years, as the acidity is quite low and the wine already approachable.

Jamessuckling.com

93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2015

A silky and polished red with currant, walnut and black truffle character. Full body, silky tannins and a fine finish. It reminds me of the excellent 1995. Better in 2017.

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/10/2015

Dense but pure, offering suave plum, raspberry coulis and black currant fruit, and tobacco, tar and iron nuances. This is integrated and refined through the long finish, but lacks the vintage's austerity. Very nicely done. Best from 2017 through 2025. 6,665 cases made. –JM

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

the1/7/2015

Dense but pure, offering suave plum, raspberry coulis and black currant fruit, and tobacco, tar and iron nuances. This is integrated and refined through the long finish, but lacks the vintage’s austerity. Very nicely done. Best from 2017 through 2025.—J.M.

timatkin.com

94 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe6/30/2013

A château that rarely disappoints, even in trickier vintages, Calon-Ségur seems to be flourishing under its new owners. This is the same blend of grapes as in 2010 and 2011, but it’s the hand of the winemaker, Vincent Millet, that matters. Once again, this is a very graceful St Estèphe, with no hard edges, polished tannins, plenty of perfume and oak and the understated concentration needed to age. Drink: 2020-35

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89-92 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe6/30/2013

(78% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 2% petit verdot; 5.5 g/l total acidity, 75 IPT; 13.5% alcohol; 38 h/h yield):  Pretty, medium ruby-red.  Aromas of raspberry, cocoa powder and mint are lifted by a penetrating violet note.  Intensely flavored, juicy and tight, with brisk acidity extending the red and dark fruit and minerals on the bright, very well-delineated finish.  A note of sweet blackcurrant lingers impressively.  This has excellent energy without coming across as green, but seems less strict to me than the 2011.  Interestingly, technical director Vincent Millet told me that the petit verdot was planted partly in 1939 and that these old vines love water stress (they were harvested on October 15, yielding just 15 h/h).  In contrast, some of the young cabernet sauvignon vines didn't make it, which explains the lowest proportion of cabernet sauvignon (along with 2011) in the Calon-Segur blend in some years (2008 had 75%).  Millet thinks that the 2012 Calon is livelier than the 2011 (which had a similar pH but lower total acidity); he believes the '11 will be ready to drink sooner than 2012.  I'm not so sure, as I find this 2012's sweetly fruity personality hard to resist already.

Le Point

17,5 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/16/2013

Nez séveux, cerise noire, très frais, bouche douce, peu acide, délicate, fraîche, élégant, très beau fruit, tanins très raffinés. O= 2017 G= 14 ans.

Asian Palate

90 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe5/15/2013

A well made Calon Segur with good density and depth. Flavours are generous and range from plums and blackberry fruits to violets. Good depth, plush texture and nice length. Excellent potential to age.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2013

Tasted as a barrel sample at the château. The Grand Vin was picked between 1st and 16th October, the Cabernet from the 9th October, the fruit sorted by hand as it enters the winery rather than an optical sorting machine. It has a very fragrant bouquet, very pure with dark cherries and raspberry preserve, like a toned down version of the 2009. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, chalky tannins. There is plenty of bright red fruit, fine focus and a very composed, quite suave finish that is presently driven by the 100% new oak. This is a great little wine from Calon Segur that should have plenty of class and sophistication once in bottle. Tasted April 2013.

matthewjukes.com

18 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/30/2013

One of the highlights of the vintage, with a perfect expression of the terroir and some beautiful fruit.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/26/2013

The 2012 reveals an opaque ruby/purple color along with sweet tannins, low acidity, medium to full body, and abundant cedary, foresty notes intermixed with black cherries, black currants, caramel and spice box. This medium to full-bodied St.-Estephe should drink well in 4-5 years (atypical for a Calon Segur), and last for two decades.

Calon Segur has one of the top dozen terroirs in all of Bordeaux, so I’m waiting to see how spectacular it can become under its new ownership. Certainly the team brought in to push the quality is the right one. I don’t know what the final blend of the relatively soft 2012 was, but I suspect it includes a copious percentage of Merlot, although Cabernet Sauvignon has dominated over recent years.
Drink: 2017 - 2037

The Wine Cellar Insider

87-89 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/26/2013

The first vintage under the new owners is ruby in color with coffee, blackberry, cassis, spice and earthy notes. It offers bright and fresh fruits with some dryness and tough, rustic tannins in the finish. 87-89 Pts

Jean-Marc QUARIN

17 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/25/2013

Couleur sombre, intense et belle. Nez fruité de type mûr. Entrée en bouche bien marquée puis le vin se développe sur un toucher raffiné, avec du goût, un corps plein, et moelleux. Structure de forme droite qui évolue sur une finale noble et fondante au grain fin et parfumé. C’est délicieux. Assemblage : 78 %, cabernet sauvignon, 20 % merlot et 2 % petit verdot. Rendement : 38 hectolitres à l’hectare. Sélection : 40 % de grand vin.

My Bettane + Desseauve

16,5 / 20

the4/25/2013

Il ne restait plus en fin de journée au château d’autres échantillons, celui dégusté manquait un peu de fraîcheur pour se comparer aux autres ténors du secteur même si le terroir et la qualité de la vinification ne font ici aucun doute. À revoir dans quelques mois.

Jancis Robinson

17 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/25/2013

Drink 2020-2035
Lively and some richness. Dry finish. But great vitality. Long and complete with no concessions to the vintage. Not as dense as Montrose. (17+ points)

Decanter.com

18,25 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/22/2013

Superbly
rich colour, nose still discreet but of great class, great purity of
flavour, tannins present for the long-term, “an iron fist in a velvet
glove”, a beautifully structured wine for the long term, the Lafite of
Saint-Estephe. 18.25/20pts ( 94/100pts)
Drink: 2018 - 2035

Jamessuckling.com

92-93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/4/2013

Super fresh and floral with raspberry, currant and berry character. Full body, with fine tannins and a long, long finish. Bright and racy. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot.