External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
Show more
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| | Vintage | 2003 |  Label 1 of 697 
 | | Type | Red | | Producer | Château Calon-Ségur (web) | | Variety | Red Bordeaux Blend | | Designation | n/a | | Vineyard | n/a | | Country | France | | Region | Bordeaux | | SubRegion | Médoc | | Appellation | St. Estèphe | | UPC Code(s) | 087000337077, 087000347458, 3249990314453, 3258691190785, 3277035053760, 3364420056793, 3419466144383, 3419466174618, 3419466179972, 3448821506153, 3700266216821, 416701003613, 616773324016, 649944053361, 739958172506, 802236001000, 873964001730 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 412 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by sastewart on 4/13/2024 & rated 93 points: Futures purchase, stored at 55 degrees and decanted 2 hours ahead alongside a 2000 Calon Segur. Nose of black, brambly fruits, tobacco and cigar box. Medium to medium plus body, lower acid and silky tannins framing a core of black fruits - beautiful balance. I liked this better than the 2000 we poured alongside. In a great place, ready but no rush. 93 points. (281 views) | | | Tasted by ChrisR on 3/23/2024: First of a new lot I purchased recently. Closer in type to the last bottle I had. Nice aromas. Blackberries and a bit a bitter herbs. A bit soft, midweight, a bit gritty. It's not going to blow anyone away, but it was an easy and pleasant wine to drink. Based on this bottle and the last, I don't think this will last much longer. (915 views) | | | Tasted by grossie on 2/12/2024 & rated 91 points: Similar to the last bottle. Really good, but lacks the depth I expect to give it a higher score. (1569 views) | | | Tasted by TheMajor on 2/10/2024 & rated 88 points: Slightly disjointed wine from a vintage that really really hasn’t aged well. The smell is promising - ‘here’s the 20yr old mature premier Bordeaux’ excitement. But once the glass is on the lips, it’s a little, or even more than a little, underwhelming. I don’t get the strong tannins that other reviewers here have, but there’s a big missing mid-tongue core (as if surgically extracted, because everything else ticks the boxes of what you would expect, apart from an odd slight bitterness on the finish). It’s still an 88 as it’s still a classy enjoyable wine to drink. But falls short of high expectations. (1432 views) | | | Tasted by Uncle Victor on 1/19/2024 & rated 93 points: Exceeded expectations. Blind tasting of 3 outstanding 2003s with my good friend and rockstar reviewer “#1 or #2”. I was leery about including this bottle after reading some of the reviews below. After a two hour decant, the fruit was notably muted on the nose and the concern grew. The tannins, however, were bold and strong, which caught us off guard. We came back to it an hour later and it was really starting to open up, and by four hours we had a winner. Plenty of dark fruit here, black currants and ripe cherries, with notes of vanilla and cedar. Refined and balanced finish, very satisfying. Certainly within a good drinking window now and will reward the patience provided by a good decant. (1688 views) | | | Tasted by #1 or #2? on 1/19/2024 & rated 93 points: wine night @ uncle victor’s! …in a cab fwd line up alongside dunn’s ‘03 howell mountain and the ‘03 solaia, this was the most subtle, particularly on the nose. lots of air and time in glass coaxes out some dark berry and currant fruit. quite dusty, earthy, definitely fully mature. there’s fruit to be found but the palate is more savoury, very refined. gripping tannins initially that recede with time. this wine will grow on you, i promise. (1575 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyDelMar on 12/25/2023 & rated 92 points: Pulled the cork 90 minutes before dinner of Rack of Lamb. Drank alongside a 2005 Philip Togni Cab that I pulled the cork at the same time. No decant on either.
Calon is Old School, black fruit Bordeaux. Some bricking. Medium mouthfeel. The wine is very dry and the fruit is quite muted as you would expect. I can’t see holding this any longer as it’s not going to get better. I thought it was good but not great. (2004 views) | | | Tasted by Nutty08 on 12/24/2023 & rated 92 points: Solid if uninspiring bdx. Black fruited with a little cedar. Showed a bit of hot/stewed meat on the palate. Otherwise don’t get much vintage character. Coarse tannins but in check with the fruit. Approachable but hard to see this getting better. Not my favorite calon. (1537 views) | | | Tasted by thalver on 11/26/2023: Properly stored since release. Decanted for a couple hours and poured. It showed the left bank nose that one would expect, if a bit dialed back. No green notes. A bit tannic and drying on the finish. 90-ish pts (1879 views) | | | Tasted by derrington on 11/11/2023 & rated 93 points: Cellared temperature controlled since release. Decanted for four hours. Great garnet color, no fading or bricking. Tannin integrated. Sweet juicy blackberry, graphite, great structure, medium acidity. Overall in a great spot. First bottle from this vintage. Have two more, and will drink with within 3 years. Did not detect any hint of greenness mentioned by others. (1738 views) | | | Tasted by dbkitc on 11/11/2023 & rated 91 points: Very healthy garnet that’s showing some bricking. Iron, herbs and tobacco mix nicely with classic current fruit on the rather stern nose - no heat here. Now on the maturity plateau it’s a very good and well made 2003 that just lacks a touch of pleasure. (91) (1795 views) | | | Tasted by Juliansi on 11/10/2023 & rated 93 points: Aged Bordeauxs from the top winemakers and châteaus, circa 20 years are really in the sweet spot.. and this is a great example of one.
60% Cab, 40% Merlot.
Grainy tannins with some mild grip, acidity medium and mouthfeel kept improving with density. Love the sweetness of blackfruit and cigar box finish!
Thanks so much SKT for spoiling us once again... at bro AS' welcome back dinner in La Sense. The 7-course meal was beautifully curated too!
Imagine that you could pick this up for USD 120-150 which is similar to an en-primeur offering of the same wine today.. someone's cellared this for 20 years for you, and you get to enjoy a mature Bdx in its prime!
10th Nov 2023
La Sense, Farm to Plate, Damsansara Kim, Malaysia (1584 views) | | | Tasted by rbrock05 on 11/5/2023 & rated 96 points: Drinking great right now, but I don't think that it will be in the window much longer. Really opened up after 3 hours with oak smoke and tar on the nose. Getting casis and violets upfront fading into wonderful smokey afternoons. Wish I had another bottle! (1823 views) | | | Tasted by ChrisR on 11/4/2023: My last bottle from my futures purchase two decades ago. A curious contrast to my previous bottle. That one boasted a pretty red fruit flavor, little green and a most becoming weightlessness combined with decent intensity. This bottle was more standard: darker fruited, denser, and a solid green accent with air. A bit soft, as one would expect from this vintage at this stage, but structured nonetheless. Texturally different from the previous bottle with a different flavor profile, but nice. (1494 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 8/2/2023 & rated 94 points: My last bottle and that is a pity because the wine is still great and will stay on this level for at least another 5 years. In the bouquet cigar box, leather, cedar and beautiful oak as well as dark berries. On the palate juicy dark berries, graphite, mocha and licorice, beautiful acidity and a slight touch of sweetness and chocolate. Beautifully balanced wine. (2886 views) | | | Tasted by OttawaB on 6/13/2023 & rated 89 points: Nice example of aged Bordeaux. Dried berry fruits, cassis, cigar/tobacco/incense, caramel and vanilla edging in. Herbs. More on the bitter fruit spectrum. Showing its age. Medium acidity. Tannins still a bit gravelly. Nice overall but I was hoping for better ... but this was a pleasure to drink. (2844 views) | | | Tasted by brianakrin on 6/3/2023 & rated 92 points: Much improved! good nose,rich, smooth , bright, good fruit , proper structure. very good! (2565 views) | | | Tasted by J o e on 5/18/2023 & rated 88 points: Still deep in color, the 2003 Calon Segur gives off aromas of hard candy, smoke, cigar wrapper and herbs. In the mouth, there is lots of earth, black cherry and bittersweet chocolate, all of which is followed by a tsunami of tannin that is more typical of a barrel sample than of a near 20 year old claret. There is good length here, but the accompanying dryness is worrisome. Even the 1995 was more resolved at a similar time point in its evolution. I’d wait at least another 5 years before checking in again, all the while keeping my fingers crossed that the fruit holds up. 88+? (2822 views) | | | Tasted by whitmanlholt on 5/7/2023 & rated 87 points: Popped and poured, then refrigerated the remaining part of the bottle for the following day. This is a pure garnet wine with some significant sediment caking and stain on the bottle, combined with modest sediment at the end of the bottle. On the nose, I get plum, black cherry, and some wet rocks – the experience isn’t bad; the nose is moderately expressive and opens a bit over time. In the mouth, the wine is a real letdown; it’s midweight yet oddly flavorless. The finish, too, is short and truncated, with a bit of red fruit and fig, but not much going for it. Overall, I found this to be a charmless and disappointing wine. It gets a tad better with air, but still falls well below expectations. It oddly doesn’t show many of the negative aspects of the 2003 vintage, but instead veers almost in the other direction. I have a few bottles of this left, so am hoping for the best, but it’s probably unwarranted hope at this point. Not one of my better purchases. 87 points. (2871 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 5/7/2023 & rated 89 points: Bordeaux 2003 – 20 Years On – 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted (some wines would have needed it). Observations: 1) 2003 is not a good vintage. The wines don’t have the depth and elegance of good years. But I was positively surprised, that while it’s clearly a hot year, there are less overripe, over-extracted and prematurely dying wines than in 09/10. Still, there is no comparison to how Chateauxs handle hot years today. 2) Compared to five other vintage retrospectives, the 2003 came in last place (lower average score than 2011), with just Chateau Margaux reaching a group score above 95pts. 3) Margaux wines showed best, with the typical immediate charm, while St. Estephe and Pauillac have potential but will need more time (and/or would have needed more air). 4) Right bank wines did not show as good with some alcohol showing and a few wines being on a downhill path. I would not chase 2003 right banks.
TN: Beautiful ripe but still quite fresh dark and blue fruit on the nose. Elegant and round. On the palate the same red fruit, some blue fruit, some greener notes and a bit of minerality. Not as sensual as the nose would suggest. This misses a bit of tannin ripeness (some wineries feared cooked fruit and harvested too early, Calon might have done that), a bit of charm on the palate and especially towards the finish. While the nose was very inviting and easily on a 94pts level, the palate was clearly below 90pts.
Decanting: My guess is that this would need a good hour or two in the decanter. It improved a bit in the glass.
Group average: 90.5 pts
Group rank: Shared 18th out of 29 reds (3410 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 4/25/2023: En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Four (Bordeaux): From Magnum. Black over red fruits, blackcurrant, sweet spice, a little truffle, leather. Juicy, fleshy, alcohol bite, chewy drying tannins, dark hued fruits, again a little forward. Hmm (2498 views) | | | Tasted by egoya on 4/12/2023 & rated 91 points: This bottle showed no signs of decline, but I am still not too enthusiastic about this highly rated wine. (2307 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 3/20/2023 & rated 93 points: Grand Bordeaux 2003 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): Bordeaux 2003 vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector and moderated by Jean-Marc Quarin. Main observations: 1/ Average quality is acceptable, but weighted down by various low-lights, esp. on the right bank. 2/ In general a tannic vintage, lacking balance. 3/ Top 3 wines were Lafite, Mouton and Margaux (all 95). See the tasting story for a complete overview and additional vintage comments.
Tasting note:
Red cherry fruit with elements of strawberry. Sweet spice adds a lot of sexiness. Bright and fresh with a perfect degree of ripeness. Aging noes only in the background. Pretty fresh fruit on the palate as the main positive, otherwise rather high acidity and mouthcoating tannin. (2459 views) | | | Tasted by Philip67 on 3/5/2023 & rated 94 points: Fully mature. Good black berry fruit. Robust structure, as you would expect for 2003. Classic leather, cedar and a hint of cake spices. Long and complex. Drink now and over the next 10 to 15 years and maybe longer. (2451 views) | | | Tasted by maxima on 3/4/2023 flawed bottle: Déviante/Réduite (2783 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Jan/Feb 2014, Issue #49, Château Calon-Ségur: Changes Stirring at this Great St. Estèphe Estate
(Château Calon-Ségur) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/21/2013)
(Ch Calon-Ségur St-Estèphe Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, March 2013 (3/1/2013)
(Château Calon-Ségur St Estèphe Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/1/2010)
(Ch Calon-Ségur St-Estèphe Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/18/2008)
(Ch Calon-Ségur St-Estèphe Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/23/2008)
(Ch Calon-Ségur St-Estèphe Red) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, December 2007, Issue #18
(Château Calon-Ségur) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2004, IWC Issue #114
(Chateau Calon Segur Saint Estephe) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jon Rimmerman
Garagiste (10/22/2008)
(Calon Segur) Calon-Segur Dear Friends, A pristine parcel of this is floating around the US at a seriously reduced tarriff and it's an original cellar lot. If you ever wondered what 1966 Latour tasted like in youth (or even something like 1900 Margaux), this style has gone by the wayside but it should win out in the end. Wasn't Bordeaux supposed to be unfriendly and tannic after bottling? When did Bordeaux become easy to drink a month after venturing into its vessel? I'm not sure I want St. Estephe to be easy to drink in youth - I would prefer the message in the bottle to reveal itself when it feels ready to wash ashore. This is a wine and format I am quite certain will be worth far more than its present rate if given the requisite cellar time. As the 2005s become harder to find (and as they start to age), magnums and large format will most certainly increase in value. Calon-Segur was one of the top examples of the vintage from the get-go (there was a period where it toyed with WOTV honors while aging in barrel) and only a severely closed state at the final bottle tastings prevented it from scoring among the top-tier of the vintage (1986 Las Cases was also severely closed at the final bottle tastings so keep that in mind). I will be shocked if the scores for this wine stay even close to this (you can check the original barrel scores - the wine should be in that range or higher when all is said and done) - a top buy for a magnum at this point and a potential investment: VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - one of the highest recommendations of the vintage: 2005 Calon Segur 1.5lt (St. Estephe) STRICT LIMIT 6/person until we run out ...we also have a few of these - also interesting but I believe the 2005 will prevail in a decade (and the 2005 vintage will be more valuable as a whole in time): 2003 Calon Segur 1.5lt (St. Estephe) STRICT LIMIT 6/person until we run out Both arrive with impeccable provenance at some point this fall (they are on the water now). They will ship during the first available shipping window (weather permitting). Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Bord9111 Bord9112 |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of View From the Cellar and JancisRobinson.com and Winedoctor and The World of Fine Wine and Vinous and Garagiste. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Calon-Ségur Producer website - Read more about Chateau Calon SegurRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.St. Estèphe Read more about St. Estephe and its wines Whereas the first activity recorded in Saint-Estèphe goes back as far as the Middle Bronze Age, the first vines date from the Roman Occupation. But it was the Bordeaux merchants who by aging and selling Saint-Estèphe wines themselves were largely responsible for this appellation's fame. And in the nineteenth century, noted for its prosperity, the great estates of today were created. The movement continues today with the merging of small estates.
A land of great wines, Saint-Estèphe is situated almost in the centre of the Médoc, close to the Gironde Estuary. The appellation is equidistant from Bordeaux and the Pointe de Grave.
The beds of soil are characterized by their remarkable diversity, the result of their undulating relief and excellent drainage. Quartz and well-rounded pebbles mingled with light, sandy surface soil are found everywhere, giving the wines a distinctive finesse. And the subsoil is made up of the famous Saint-Estèphe limestone, which outcrops on the west of the commune.
Tasting
Thanks to ideal conditions of climate and geology, Saint-Estèphe wines are characterized by their sturdy qualities and robust constitution. Accordingly, they can be laid down for a very long time while yet preserving their youth and freshness. Distinguished by a subsoil which is more clayey than that in the other communal appellations which lie by the river, the wine here attains a distinctive individuality : a very rich tannic structure, a fine deep red colour and an exceptional backbone with aromas of great finesse.
Production conditions (Decree dated September 11, 1936):
In order to have the right to the Saint-Estèphe appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the communes of Saint-Estèphe, "excluding any parcels in that area which are situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
|
