Château Calon Ségur 2009

A wine that expresses the sun-drenched and opulent character of the vintage, and yet Merlot does not play a leading role. The multi-layered bouquet has real depth with precise and pure aromas of blackberry and spices including cinnamon as well as a touch of tobacco and lead pencil shavings before gaining floral notes on airing. The mouthfeel is juicy and harmonious but it also reveals substantial structure and well-proportioned acidity that provide energy and thrust to attain a finish that is surprisingly light-footed and even delicate. A superb wine possessing all the requisite richness of a fine Calon Ségur as well as the power of the 2009 vintage.

With a lot of fennel and earthy character this is a classic St.-Estèphe, but on the palate it has a suppleness that's modern in the best sense. Needs time to soften. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

Secondary notes of wet earth, tobacco, truffle, and spice are just now emerging. A bit firm for the vintage, with some leafy, herbal nuances accompanying the Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is still young. Give it another decade in the cellar.

Intense dark ruby colour with purple hues, subtle brightening on the rim. Attractive notes of oak, fine cedar wood, roasted aromas, dark berry fruit and ripe red cherries, mineral, grapefruit zest, a multi-faceted bouquet, nuances of cardamom. Medium complexity on the palate, black cherries, vivid tannins, fresh acidity, a salty minerality on the finish, drinking well, but still needs time.

A big step up over the 2008 and, I suspect, the finest wine from this estate in the 2000s, the 2009 Château Calon Ségur reveals a healthy ruby hue to go with textbook notes of red and black currants, tobacco leaf, damp earth, gamey meats, and Asian-like spices. This is classic, traditionally made Bordeaux, with full-bodied richness, a layered, structured mouthfeel, wonderful sweetness of fruit, and a great finish. A wine that starts out tight and reserved yet builds with air, don't be afraid to give bottles plenty of air if drinking any time soon. It's certainly in its drink window, yet also has another 30-40 years of longevity ahead of it.

90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. At 53 hl/ha, 2009 was a large harvest, and never in the history of Calon-Ségur has there been so much Cabernet. Deep purple with a dense core and garnet highlights at the rim. The bouquet is clearly defined by deep, floral Cabernet, complemented by hints of truffle, smoky nuances, walnuts, and a touch of herbs. A fleshy, very deep palate with tightly knit texture and well-supportive, demanding astringency, extremely long. A massively loaded yet refined Calon with impressive aging potential. A kind of 1961-style variant.

90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. A large harvest at 53 hl/ha. Never before so much Cabernet in the history of Calon-Ségur. Deep purple, dense core, garnet highlights at the rim. The bouquet is clearly shaped by deep, floral Cabernet, hints of truffle and smoke, walnuts and a touch of herbs. A fleshy palate with a tightly knit, dense texture, showing great depth and a well-supportive, demanding astringency, extremely long. A massively loaded yet refined Calon-Ségur endowed with impressive aging potential. A kind of ’61 variant.

Fruity, fragrant, floral bouquet with blue and black berries, dried fruits, tobacco, mocha. Elegant, fresh, dense, full palate with good fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a powerful, elegant structure, and concentrated, powerful aromatics. Very long, aromatic finish. A classic, great Cabernet Sauvignon. 19/20 2016 - 2035

Plum colour, still intense right through to the core of the wine; this is a near-perfect St Estèphe, concentrated yet finessed, with balance, less muscular than you would find in most vintages of Calon today, still with depth but also nuance, full of pleasure and joy: cocoa bean, cigar box, blackcurrant, smoked earth, oyster shell finish. Owned by Denise Gasqueton at the time, and it makes me a little nostalgic for the old-school charms of this era at Calon.

An absolutely remarkable whole (though it may perhaps be surpassed by the sublime 2010), where the power of the vintage does not upset the harmony of the texture and the silkiness of very noble tannins.

The wine has not been retasted since its release. On its original release, it displayed remarkable potential. The finest Calon Ségur since the illustrious 1950s and 1960s.

Suave, smooth, round, superb length, beautiful volume.

The ripe, fulfilled character of 2009 is clearly expressed on the bouquet through nuances of ripe black berries, while also revealing notes of graphite and liquorice. The wine is currently in a very approachable phase, showcasing its breadth, charm, and maturity without excess. A charming wine with plenty of personality!

Logo on the cork: A in a circle (Amorim) Dark, intense, evolved color. Moderately aromatic nose, fruity but a bit simple. Caressing on the attack, developing pleasantly, with a normal body and a somewhat austere finish. Lacks the fruit maturity of the previous wines in this series. Likely bottle variation.