The 2020 Château Calon Ségur is pure gold and another masterpiece from this estate. Harvested all in September and pulled from their 48 hectares of vines, the blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot that spent 20 months all in new French oak, and it hit 13.2% natural alcohol. My notes started and ended with "wow," and this riveting Saint-Estèphe offers a heavenly bouquet of red and black currants, truffly earth, iron, espresso, and tobacco leaf. With incredible purity of fruit, full-bodied richness, and ultra-fine tannins, it's a deep, pure, layered 2020 that deserves at least 7-8 years of bottle age and will cruise for 40-50 years in cold cellars. Hats off to the team at Calon Ségur.

Very deep perfumed nose; the 1% Petit Verdot is quite potent and intense with ripe fruit aromas. Super-smooth and silky on the palate however, just so juicy and lovely with ample balance. A lovely energy and freshness comes across as both sharp and well defined – succulent but remaining intense and linear in terms of structure. The weight comes from plump, ripe fruit – the blackcurrant, black cherry and plum offset by a cooling minerality and wet stone, pencil lead minerality. It has richness for sure, the concentration is there, but also sleight of hand, so well executed and long. Really very impressive.

Even visually this stands apart with its inky, glass-staining ruby colour. Rich and powerful but restrained, this is a brilliant Calon Ségur, more old school than the past few vintages in that there is tight cassis, eucalyptus and mint leaf restraint, but still utterly luscious black cherry and damson fruits, concentrated, supple and chiselled tannins with a touch of crème de cassis and incense. Exceptionally impressive. 47% of overall production, 33hl/h yield, 100% new oak, 3.85ph. Vincent Millet director as well as technical director.

Powerful, rich, deep, long, and packed with layers of dark, red, and black fruits, Asian spice, boysenberry, black currants, cedar, licorice, cocoa, tobacco leaf, lead pencil, and a refreshing hint of mint in the nose. The wine offers intensity, depth of flavor, power, ripe tannins, vibrance, blackberry, and a currant lingering finish with nuances of spice, chocolate, and creme de cassis on the back end. Give it a few years in the cellar, and enjoy it for up to 3 decades after that. Drink from 2026-2055. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=2020%20Calon%20Segur

The 2020 Calon-Ségur is a brilliant wine from an estate in the ascendant. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, red berries, fresh mint, pencil shavings, violets and rose petals, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a vibrant core of fruit, powdery structuring tannins and a long, perfumed finish. Integrated and harmonious, this pure, concentrated and dynamic wine is one of the finest vintages that Vincent Millet and his team have produced to date. - William Kelley

This wine has a touch of spice to go with its powerful black currant flavors. It is concentrated, and the 78% Cabernet Sauvignon gives great structure and power. The wine has immense aging potential. Drink from 2028. - Roger Voss

Blueberries, blackberries, spearmint, currants and sweet spices on the nose. Mocha and walnuts, too. Lots of flavor here, with a medium to full body and muscular yet velvety tannins that melt seamlessly into the wine. Long, polished and delicious already. Keeps going. Better from 2025.

This is among the more backward wines of the vintage, showing a slightly burly mix of chestnut, warm paving stone, bay leaf and burnished leather notes amid a densely packed core of black currant and bitter plum reduction. Really riveted, with a warm cast iron spine and a mouthwatering savory edge driving the finish. Lovely character in this wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2040. — J.M.

The 2020 Calon Ségur has a perfumed, floral bouquet with violet-tinged black and blue fruit aromas and just a patina of new oak to be fully assimilated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. There's quite a strong sea influence here, with a tang of Japanese seaweed and cracked black pepper on the muscular finish. Like others in this flight, it will need time, but it is a lovely Saint-Estèphe. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. -- Neal Martin