Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I haven’t had a Bordeaux in a while. Especially, with a Ribcap. So, why not an 82? The vintage Robert Parker made his career as the only critic who called it correctly.

Very good 80’s Bordeaux were my first true wine love. Their style & 12-13% ABV will always be my cherished infatuation. Wished it had never changed.

Bought this Calon Segur on the secondary market several yrs ago. Tricky cork. Used my Durand. All good. Fill line perfect, no bottle neck tannin burn but plenty of velvety sediment.

If any of you ever wondered why there is a heart on the label. Here is the interesting reason…

It symbolizes the estate's deep-rooted history and the affection of its former owner, the Marquis de Ségur. Despite owning prestigious estates like Château Lafite and Château Latour, he famously declared, "I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon." His sentiment is immortalized by the heart emblem on the label.

Opened it and let it breathe from the bottle for 45 minutes. Tasted it and decanting it in stages. Then, stopped 1/2 way through and poured the bottom half of the bottle from the bottle.

82 is such a grand, classic vintage. For the most part, I drink Calon Segur’s too early, even at 20 yrs of age. I don’t want to say it is a long in tooth as its neighbor, Montrose, but it is close. This 82 is drinking perfectly w/ 41 yrs in bottle and will hold another 5 yrs. Such soft, perfectly darkish spices with elegantly ripe fruits.

This 82 glides over the palate. There is only beautiful elegance, nothing bites back. The fruits are older (not old or past their prime), ripe fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, both plums but lean plum vs black, dark cherries, crazy, outstanding, hoovering raspberries with notes of blueberries & shades of freshly picked rhubarb. Some black cherry cola, anise to understated black licorice, dark chocolate pudding, caramel, layered, gentle baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, touch of sun tea, old leather, dryish to fresh tobacco w/ash, charcoal, elegant graphite, dry limestone powder, dry river pebbles, black, rich earth w/ dry leaves, magical, dark spices, grey volcanics, dry stems, just a hint of dry herbs, dry top soil, fresh & withering dark, red flowers, red roses, grand acidity with perfect; balance, tension, structure and a grand, gentle finish that goes on & on and eventually lands on an amazing soft buffet of earthiness.

This is a wine that is technically a 94, but w/ evolution & style a 97. Amazing bottle that you don’t want to end.

$500 a bottle today through the app. Somewhere around $10 upon release. — 4 days ago

David White

9.3

NYE starter and it’s maturing nicely, classic St Julien notes and berry flavours, soft integrated tannins and good mouth filling feel with longish finish. — 14 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented to me, double-blind. The wine pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears, and some signs of light sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with a mix of ripe and desiccated, mostly dark fruits: cassis, black cherry, plum, mixed brambles, old leather, pipe tobacco, pencil shavings, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (that is mostly integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend, Tempranillo (or based blend) or Grenache-based blend from France, Spain or the United States. I feel like this leans more towards its fruit than its structure, even though it is a fairly well balanced wine in both regards. As a result, I am calling this a Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend from the United States, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain from a producer like Dunn, 2006. Shiiiiiit. To be honest, I’m not terribly surprised since this is Cos and from a warm vintage no less. Drinking well now and should through 2050+. — 9 days ago

Jonathan Warren

9.6

Unreal. Still so young but drinking beautiful. — 2 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Open & drinking well with dark cherry, berry fruit, earth, mineral, spice & violet — 4 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

This wine screams right bank Bordeaux supported by a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. A dark Ruby red in colour this has a lovely perfume with aromas of plum, cigar box, dried bracken and roses, tobacco and spice. Cinnamon and nutmeg from the oak. 70% of the French Oak barrels were new. Medium plus bodied. The tannins are there but lessening in impact. 14.5% ABV. This wine was #2 in the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 of 2013. A near neighbour of the aristocratic Chateau Ausone. — 23 days ago

Dave

9.3

Seeing the sun for the first time in weeks! This wine is making my day even brighter. A rich, deep ruby color with a complex nose. Dark fruit, herbs, lavender, chocolate. Flavors of sour plum, over ripe berries, crushed herbs, vanilla. Fairly tannic and still plenty youthful, this could age a good long while. I bought the last bottle at Binny's for $25, which i think was a great deal.
Listening to Wes Montgomery — 4 days ago

Ed Chin

9.3

Initial pour was impressive with dark blackberry sage and leather. What I found interesting was the noticeable amount of acid in comparison to the soft almost undetectable tannin. — 12 days ago

GaryWEdwards

9.5

St Julien in a perfect drinking now and for a couple of decades to come. Brilliant juice — 8 days ago

Noah Chasin

9.2

Initially concerns it was shot, three hours later it proved to be quite delightful. — 16 days ago