The Heart of St. Estèphe Value

My favorite Bordeaux writer Steven Brooks recently named Calon Ségur as one of the ten most improved châteaux in Bordeaux after finally transitioning out from under the Capbern-Gasqueton ownership. He notes that much of that progress can be attributed to a man named Dr. Vincent Millet, who came over from Château Margaux as technical director of the property and did a complete investigation into the vineyards on site, retooling the layout of the varietals, eventually resulting in a prettier, more finessed grand vin. Not having an extensive tasting history of Calon Ségur under my belt, I have to take Steven's word for it, but I've tasted every vintage since 2009 and I have indeed noticed that 14/15/16 are remarkable wines in how approachable they are in their youth. Normally you get power and structure in a St. Estèphe claret, but the Calon Ségur expressions have been much more feminine over the years (2015 in particular). 

Where I have really noticed the improvement, however, is with the property's second and third wines, especially after retasting the 2014 Saint-Estèphe de Calon Ségur again yesterday. At a quarter of the price of the 2014 grand vin, the wine is simply breathtaking in its approachability already. In general, 2014 is a classic vintage. The wines have ample fruit, but ample structure simultaneously. Yet, somehow the tannins seem to melt away in this wine, allowing the gorgeous flavors of cherry and blackberry to take center stage. It's exactly what Brooks describes in his summary of Calon Ségur's improvements: "seamless fruit and a light touch in terms of extraction, although it’s far from a light wine." He's talking about the $100 version of Calon Ségur, however. What I'm telling you is that you can enjoy the fruits of the château's advancements for $25, as well. The Saint-Estèphe de Calon Ségur is the best second or third wine value I've yet tasted in 2014 in terms of a wow-factor and a level of complexity. 

It appears the improvements at Calon Ségur are far reaching.

-David Driscoll