2005 Chateau Calon Segur 1500ml 6 Pack

95 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

Of the walk around tasting of 16 or so 2005 Bordeaux reds, or in my case the ‘run around and scurry back to my desk tasting’, this was one of my favourite wines. For the love of Saint-Estèphe. Dried herb, earthy/gravel, vanilla, aromatic, red fruit spectrum more than black. Succulent, then firm al dente tannin, married to satisfying weight and depth of fruit. Lovely balance. Length+. An aristocratic wine – really expressive and fine – and almost certain to age with grace. So yum.

94 POINTS

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

The 2005 is a beautiful Calon Ségur, with sweet mocha, black cherry, leathery fruit, medium to full body, attractive purity, a gorgeous texture, and serious nobility, gravitas and density. Drink it over the next 20-30 years, yet it is surprisingly accessible.

94 POINTS

Neal Martin - Wine Advocate

The Château Calon-Ségur 2005 is beautifully refined on the nose with blackberry, raspberry, iron rust and sage on the nose that is very focused and gains intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins so that if feels, tightly wound with an insistent but not oppressive grip. It feels almost impenetrable on the broody, introspective finish, a wine that clearly needs another decade in bottle to mellow and become accessible. I find this more impressive more than pleasurable at the moment.

94 POINTS

Neal Martin - Wine Advocate

Tasted from an ex-château bottle at BI Wine & Spirits Calon-Segur dinner in London, the 2005 Calon Segur is on par with the wonderful 2000. The only real difference is that this needs more time in bottle. It has a captivating nose: blackberry and boysenberry fruit coming at you at full pelt; dried blood and bacon fat developing as secondary aromas just behind. There is fine delineation here - an underlying mineralité sure to surface with time. The palate is very intense and disarmingly youthful, almost ferrous on the entry with layers of ripe black fruit that segue into an earthy finish (with a curious light tang of Marmite on the aftertaste!). It is a fabulous Calon Ségur, though the millennial wine might ultimately possess greater precision. We will see. Tasted March 2015.

94 POINTS

James Suckling

Tight and dense still but so integrated and seamless in texture. Aromas of chocolate, hazelnuts, dried spices and currants. Full body, superfine tannins and a texture that is so caressing and beautiful. Drink or hold.

93 POINTS

Charles Curtis MW - Decanter

Firm and structured, the Calon-Ségur remains surprisingly muscular. Produced from a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and a splash of Petit Verdot, all aged in new casks, this shows a bright redcurrant and mint nose with a bit of spice and smoke. The feel on the palate is tannic and firm, perhaps lacking a bit of generosity at this point, but the rich extract suggests that with time it should come around.

Jancis Robinson MW

Tasted blind. Blackish crimson. Sweet, well developed nose. Lots of fruit concentration in the middle. Pretty classy stuff. Lovely full ripe fruit fully covers the tannin. Just very slightly bitter on the end. Score: 17.5/20

Jancis Robinson MW

Light, correct nose. Dry finish. Utterly correct old-fashioned St-Estèphe. This has great charm for me as a completely unreconstructed classic red bordeaux. Thick and stuffed full of vineyard. Score: 17.5/20