2022 Calon-Segur (St-Estephe)

The 2022 Calon Segur is a wine that I found `uncompromising` when I tasted it at en primeur. Now that the wine is in bottle, it has a strident bouquet that marches from the glass with blackcurrant, bilberry, cedar and pine aromas. It’s very well defined and quite classic in style with finely chiseled tannins. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and a little more saline than it showed out of barrel. Indeed, it has a tad more elegance now, though it still harks back to some of the classic postwar wines that I tasted in the past—in a good way. Very fresh on the finish, this is a sophisticated Saint-Estephe born to give years of drinking pleasure, but my word, give it at least a decade before entertaining the idea of opening a bottle. 95 points

The 2022 Calon Segur is a young, raw powerhouse with huge tannins. Today, I find the 2022 impenetrably compact and hard to read. Then again, Calon Segur was quite similar en primeur, so I can`t say I am terribly surprised. For the time being, the 2022 is somewhat of a mystery. 92+ points

The 2022 Calon-Segur is another superb wine from this historic Saint-Estephe third growth that began a comprehensive renaissance the better part of a decade ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with hints of fresh mint, burning embers, licorice and violets, it`s medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, saline finish. The blend consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Vincent Millet observed that when you tasted the Merlot, you were under the impression that you were tasting Cabernet. 96-98 points