Château CALON SÉGUR 2001
At the northern end of the Saint-Estèphe appellation, Château Calon Ségur occupies a vast single-terroir estate enclosed by walls, facing the Gironde estuary. Third Grand Cru Classé in 1855, the estate remains inseparable from the history of the Marquis de Ségur, who also owned Lafite and Latour and whose attachment to Calon inspired the famous heart that became the emblem of the property. The vineyard is mainly planted on deep gravel mixed with clay, a combination particularly favorable to Cabernet Sauvignon and the production of wines built for very long aging. In 2001, the château still belonged to the Gasqueton family, who maintained a traditional style, structured and often reserved in its youth. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the blend, accompanied by Merlot and Cabernet Franc, seeking depth rather than immediate opulence. The 2001 vintage, less sunny than its predecessor 2000, has a very classic Saint-Estèphe profile, with marked freshness and a straight structure. After more than twenty years in bottle, this initial restraint now gives way to a complex, polished, and deeply Médoc expression.
Château Calon Ségur 2001 is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine is built around a firm and precise framework, supported by tannins that required time to soften. Cabernet Sauvignon brings blackcurrant, graphite, cedar, and great persistence, while Merlot rounds out the mid-palate and adds more flesh. Cabernet Franc intervenes more discreetly with a floral and spicy dimension that refines the whole. The vinification and aging follow a classic Médoc approach, with long maturation in barrels intended to accompany the structure rather than impose a demonstrative oakiness. The vintage retains a beautiful reserve of freshness and a still coherent architecture, a sign of its excellent aging potential. At this stage, a well-preserved bottle offers a particularly interesting balance between evolved fruit, tertiary notes, and mineral tension.
The color today shows a deep garnet with ruby nuances and slightly tawny hues on the rim. The nose opens with blackcurrant, black plum, and ripe cherry, then evolves towards cedar, tobacco, graphite, and undergrowth. With aeration, notes of fine leather, truffle, licorice, and spices appear, with a slightly smoky touch characteristic of old Saint-Estèphe. The palate remains structured but the tannins are now largely melted, giving a smoother and more harmonious texture. The evolved black fruit retains presence and is accompanied by freshness that stretches the tasting without heaviness. The finish is long and complex, on tobacco, graphite, spices, and earthy nuances, in a fully mature register. Château Calon Ségur 2001 will accompany a roasted rack of lamb, a beef fillet with porcini mushrooms, pigeon, royal hare, or cuisine featuring black truffle.
Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
