The 2019 Calon Ségur is a wine of soaring vertical intensity and pure power. That's the good news. The not so good news is that it won't be ready to drink any time soon. Exotic spice, pencil shavings, crème de cassis, mocha and licorice are some of the nuances that develop in the glass, but those descriptions can't even begin to capture the sheer beauty of what is in the glass. I loved the 2019 from barrel and I love it just as much from bottle. 02/2022

The 2019 Calon-Ségur, bottled in July 2021, has an alluring, very floral bouquet, the earlier crushed violet scents seemingly accentuated during the élevage. The palate is pure and poised, the fruit a little darker/blacker than I recall, and quite mineral-driven. There’s lovely acidity and precision here, and a touch of spice toward the harmonious finish. This is a superb wine from Vincent Millet and his team. 12/2021

Vincent Millet (who can boast a doctorate in wine microbiology and who took up his post as Calon's technical director after a stint at Château Margaux) is doing everything right in terms of restructuring the estate's somewhat neglected vineyards with massal selections, higher density plantings, cover crops and precision viticulture. He's also cleaned up and modernized the winery. The 2019 Calon-Ségur shows the impact of some of those changes already, offering up a rich bouquet of crème de cassis, licorice, warm spices and subtle hints of cigar box, followed by a full-bodied, broad and fleshy palate that's deep and concentrated, with lively acids and beautifully refined tannins. All this is very impressive, but the fly in the ointment is an alcohol level that flirts with 15% and makes itself felt on the warm, liqueured finish. Balance isn't a matter of mere numbers, of course, but despite its admirable qualities and the serious work behind it, I do have reservations about this wine's ultimate equilibrium. Time will tell. The good news is that Millet is actively exploring viticultural strategies to mitigate high alcohol levels. 04/2022

Couleur sombre, intense et pourpre. Nez très aromatique, fruité, mûr, subtil et complexe. Minutieux en entrée de bouche, suave au milieu et particulièrement aromatique, le vin caresse le palais sur une texture raffinée, avec beaucoup de goût dans la persistance. Très belle longueur tramée et subtile, sans aucun angle tannique. 03/2022

Sweet cherries and berries with some walnuts and dried flowers, as well as notes of crushed stone, pine, currants and violets. Full-bodied and building gradually on the palate, with intense, polished tannins that are layered throughout the wine, providing well-toned muscle. The finish lasts for minutes. Quintessential Calon. Needs time to soften. Try after 2027. 02/2022