Saint-Estèphe

2019

3rd Growth

73% Cabernet Sauvignon
14% Merlot
12% Cabernet Franc
1 % Petit Verdot

Region: Bordeaux

ESTATE HISTORY 

"Calon", meaning a little river skiff used in the Middle Ages to ferry timber across the Gironde estuary, gave the name to this district which was at one point known as Calones or Saint-Estèphe-de-Calon. In early times, Château Calon-Ségur was one of the original three vineyards in Saint-Estèphe and, in 1825, Château Montrose (in 1855 classified as a Second Growth) was a forest-land parcel belonging to the Calon-Ségur estate.

By marriage, the estate came to be owned by Nicolas-Alexandre, marquis de Ségur who also owned Château Latour and Château Lafite. Despite his ownership of these two First Growths, the Marquis said that "I make wine at Lafite and Latour but my heart is at Calon Ségur." The wine's label today includes a drawing of a heart around the Château’s name.

In the modern era, the estate has been owned by the Capbern Gasqueton family since 1894. After Mme Capbern-Gasqueton's death, it was sold in 2012 to Suravenir Assurances, an insurance company.

Chinese winemaker Emma Gao trained at the château, where she met her future husband, winemaker Thierry Courtade.

TERROIR

The vineyard sits on deep gravel deposits layered over a thick bed of clay and limestone subsoil, located close to the Gironde estuary. The topsoil gravel provides heat reflection and superb drainage, while the underlying clay retains critical moisture during warm years like 2019, preserving natural freshness alongside powerful fruit concentration.

VITICULTURE

The estate maintains high-density plantings of roughly 8,000 vines per hectare, forcing deep root competition. Precision canopy management, green harvesting, and sustainable farming ensure low yields of exceptionally concentrated, perfectly ripened fruit.

WINEMAKING

The grapes were hand-harvested and strictly sorted before undergoing parcel-by-parcel fermentation in temperature-controlled conical stainless steel tanks to emphasize purity of fruit. The wine was then aged for 17 to 20 months in 100 percent new French oak barrels, integrating rich structure, subtle spice, and polished oak nuances. 

TASTING & FOOD PAIRINGS