Calon-Ségur St-Estèphe 2021

97 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "A Saint-Estèphe of stature and vertical intensity, the 2021 Calon Ségur dazzles from the very first taste. Spice, menthol, licorice, black cherry, mint and espresso are some of the many notes that build with a bit of coaxing. The 2021 clocks in at a modest 12.9% in alcohol, yet it possesses tremendous density and textural resonance. What a wine! Tasted two times. Drink: 2031-2061. (Feb 2024)"

97 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "In the winery's style, this is seriously dense with solid tannins and concentration. It is a powerful wine with a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that has structure and dense black fruits, The wine is likely to age well. Drink from 2028. Alcohol 13%. (Jul 2024)"

96 points Rod Smith (TimAtkin.com) (May 2022).

95 points Georgina Hindle (Decanter): "Gentle cherry blossom fragrance with raspberry, cranberry and red cherry. Floral and super aromatic. Tangy and clean, a lovely crystalline aspect to the palate - nicely lean and straight, touching on austere but this also has an enjoyable creaminess that gives the weight and texture and sustains the wine to a long finish. I love the mineral ending, pure and precise. Really elegantly presented, not trying too hard. Very drinkable. Drinking Window: 2026-2049. (Dec 2023)"

94 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot). Maintains the clarity and precision that it showed En Primeur, with finely cut tannins, cassis fruits and bitter black chocolate. Savoury and finessed, grilled sandalwood and cocoa bean. Good stuff, understated but refined. Harvest September 28 to October 14, 100% new oak, 43% 1st wine, 36hl/h yield. Old school finesse, not exuberance. Director Vincent Millet. Drink: 2028-2041. Alcohol 13%. (12/6/23)"

94 points Jeb Dunnuck: "One of the true gems in the vintage is the 2021 Château Calon Ségur, which comes from tiny yields of 26 hectoliters per hectare and 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. This beauty was aged in 100% new barrels for 20 months and hit 13% alcohol. It brings more depth, sweet fruit, and charm than most in the vintage and has a complex, layered style in its cassis, black raspberries, tobacco, leather, and savory flower-like aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, this balanced, layered, complete 2021 has ripe tannins, the vintage’s focused, elegant style, solid mid-palate depth, and a beautiful finish. It already offers pleasure, but it warrants 4-5 years of bottle age and will provide two decades of prime drinking. This vintage doesn't get much better, and this is worth your time and money. Drink: 2028-2049. (4/3/24)"

94 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "Tasting the 2021 Calon Ségur out of barrel, I opined that there was a gulf in quality between it and the Le Marquis, and that remains the case since it was bottled in mid-July. This has an absolutely exquisite, beautifully defined bouquet that possesses an almost Burgundy-like purity. Blackberry, raspberry coulis and hints of crushed strawberry blossom in the glass, very focused with seamlessly integrated new oak that is impossible to tell is completely new. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, modest weight and a very smooth texture—perhaps not quite as enthralling as the aromatics, though it is pure and, atypically for this Saint-Estèphe, quite sensual in style. Maybe it is missing just a touch of complexity on the finish, but otherwise, this is a very capable wine that should age with grace over the next 25 to 30 years. Drink: 2027-2055. (Feb 2024)"