2010 Calon-Ségur, St-Estèphe (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #1066780 94-97 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

(a blend of 86% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, and 2% petit verdot; pH 3.7; 13.7% alcohol) Bright ruby-purple. Complex, pure aromas of fresh blueberry, blackcurrant, truffle, violet and black pepper are accented by sexy new oak (100% this year, up from 90% in 2009). Began a bit brooding in the middle palate but gained in pliancy and richness with air, showing enticingly pure and remarkably concentrated flavors of dark berries lifted by spices and very harmonious acids. This gorgeous, seamless wine finishes extremely long, with very smooth if youthfully assertive tannins, and a lingering note of violet. A huge wine of great class and purity but one that will require enormous patience; along with Latour, this is the most backward of all the great Bordeaux of the 2010 vintage. It is also one of the very best: it reminded me of the monumental 1966 made here and I believe it will go down as one of the all time great Calon-Segurs. Flowering at Calon-Segur was very homogeneous and rapid in 2010, unlike in many other Bordeaux properties, allowing for even ripening of the berries and proper physiological maturity of tannins, something that was common to the best wines of 2010. Beginning with this vintage, the talented and soft-spoken Eric Boissenot, the main consulting winemaker to many of the Left Bank's great wines, has also begun consulting at Calon-Segur. He and Calon-Segur's technical director Vincent Millet were in the same enology class at Bordeaux University and also previous (6/ 2011)

97 points Wine Enthusiast

*Cellar Selection* This is an architectural wine, very classical in its structure like so many of the top wines of 2010. It's powered by ripe tannins and beautiful black currant fruits. While the wine is gorgeously ripe, it also has a powerful dark and structured character. For longterm aging. (3/ 2013)

96 points James Suckling

Sure pure fruit to this red with a minerality and floral undertone. You can smell the warm stones. Full body, with a beautiful depth of fruit and velvety tannins. Dense and balanced. Layered with a light salty and meaty character as well. Great length. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. Try in 2017. (2/ 2013)

94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2010 is performing well. With Cabernet Sauvignon dominating the blend, the wine has a dense plum/purple color along with notes of underbrush, black currants, plum, licorice, smoky charcuterie and some roasted herbs in the background. Full-bodied, moderately tannic and set for an extremely long life, this will not be a wine to please those looking for immediate gratification. Rather, I would suspect this wine will close down even further in bottle and, despite its full-bodied, powerful, massive size, it will need at least a decade of cellaring before it is accessible. This is another 2010 capable of lasting 35-50 years. (2/ 2013)

Jancis Robinson

Pure, dark, vanilla-laced fruit but also a lovely leafy fragrance. Great combination of sweet ripe fruit and fresh fine tannins. Succulent and very long. (3/ 2012)

K&L Notes

**+ 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. A totally awesome wine, and one of our favorites of the vintage. mineral and cassis, with spice on the finish. "This property has finally been sold to a syndicate involving a number of different elements," notes Robert Parker, "but given the greatness of this terroir, some fresh blood may ultimately push the quality of Calon Segur right up there with the likes of Cos d'Estournel and Chateau Montrose, the two reigning champions of this northern appellation." (02/2013)