First Time Trying "Calon Segur" 1995 – Tasting Notes
Background:
- Wine:Château Calon-Ségur 1995 (Third Growth, Saint-Estèphe)
- Blend:Bordeaux Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot)
Tasting Notes
Appearance
- Color:Ruby-red with a "pigeon blood" hue, still vibrant for its age.
Nose (Aroma)
- Initially:Tight and powerful upon opening, dominated by cedar, oak, and smoky notes, with subtle earthy undertones. Fruit and floral aromas were restrained.
- After 30 mins of decanting:Began to open up—blackcurrant, raspberry, and a savory, almost "natural wine" minerality emerged.
- After 1 hour:Evolved further with liquorice, dark chocolate, and a touch of tobacco.
Palate (Taste)
- Tannins: Softened nicely but still present (typical of aged Bordeaux).
- Acidity:Noticeably high, giving freshness but slightly dominant early on.
- Flavor Profile:Balanced but not overly complex—black fruits, earthy notes, and oak spices in harmony.
Structure & Finish
- Body:Medium-full, elegant but not heavy.
- Finish:Moderate length, ending with lingering cedar and dark fruit.
Impressions & Comparisons
- Balance:Very well-integrated—no single element overpowers (aroma, flavor, acidity all upper-medium tier).
- Lacking Distinction? In a blind tasting of Bordeaux, this might blend in—no standout "wow" factor(e.g., missing the rose petal florality sometimes associated with "Calon’s romantic charm"). — 2 days ago
+2 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A remarkable dark magenta with some bricking. Nose: Captivating savory notes of dark fruit, herbaceous, funky earth, worn leather, pencil shavings, cedar, smoked meat, maybe a touch of bandaid(brett). Taste: A savory wine with class and elegance... dark currants, tobacco, graphite, saline, cedar, and a spiced earthy minerally medium plus finish. YUM! — 22 days ago
Pretty deep garnet ruby , garnet rim . This is pretty open and aromatic, with smoky creme de cassis , grafite , blackberry and cedar , light herbal touches , really quite classic and noble . On the palate this has good balance and density , good freshness also . Ripe , very fine but perceptible tannins . Dark fruits , grafite , tobacco , long and detailed slightly mineral notes on the good length finish . Really elegant , though quite serious and traditional, not easy to pull off. This is drinking perfectly now (Coravin might have helped here , I would certainly decant if I had a full bottle) , though still quite fruit driven with some tertiary complexity coming through . Really harmonious and complex . From now and over the next 15 years, maybe more . At Doppo Restaurant, Soho . — 3 days ago
Decanted to separate the sediment. Haven’t given it much air time but it’s already showing very nicely. Nose has lots of rich, gravelly earthy scents, competing with dark berry and cassis fruit. Cedar and underbrush notes too. Still hasn’t totally relaxed on the palate. Probably needs a few more years ideally. There’s a certain tightness to it but it’s nevertheless showing well. Nice flavor concentration, with fruit initially but getting tight and savory as the lengthy finish progresses. Lots of fine-grained tannins, and nice acidity. This seems pretty old-school in feel, not jammy and huge. 9.2 for now but let’s see what happens over the next hour or two.
UPDATE (night 2): This has developed nicely since yesterday evening. A lot more very pure cassis fruit showing on the nose, and the texture seems softer. Upping score from 9.2 to 9.3. — a day ago
A fine example of Pauillac from an overlooked vintage, the 2012 d’Armailhac (from half bottle) offers a potent punch of graphite, fresh black fruits, leather and cedar. The palate has ample concentration and good harmony, with flecks of sweet fruit leading to a long and gratifying finish. This is pure, precise Pauillac and in a beautiful spot at 13 years of age.
June 2025
94 — 22 days ago
Cedar, sour cherries, and pencil shavings on the nose. Dried fruit on the palate. Still drinking well! — 2 months ago
Andrew Cullimore
Medium deep garnet with a terracotta rim . This has some sous bois , earthy tobacco , coffee grinds , herbal touches , cedar and dried currants . On the palate this is quite dense and classic in profile , still quite a lot of tannin , sous bois , cedar , some cassis , tobacco and a little herbal. Quite stocky and chunky . Medium length , and balanced acidity . This is still quite dense on the palate , with grippy , slightly rustic tannins . Probably just past peak , but will hold over the next 5 years or so . Tasted at Hedonism Wines , London …. No label on the bottle ! — 3 days ago