2021 Château Calon Ségur, St Estèphe, Bordeaux []

Cabernet Sauvignon 81%, Cabernet Franc 11%, Merlot 7%, Petit Verdot 1%

It’s 10 years since the Suravenir insurance group bought Calon Ségur. Their higher-density replanting programme is at the half-way stage, the benefits already evident. Once built around Merlot grown on clay, Cabernet Sauvignon is now the engine. The 2021 is an unqualified success. Gentle extractions have caressed into play a wine of pure class, refreshing yet intense. The fruits are exquisite, bright and floral, yet there are gourmand notes of lead pencil and cool earth. The tannins are fine-grained and graceful, seeming to waft across the palate.

Our score: 18/20

Berry Bros. & Rudd, April 2022