1988 Calon Segur (Unsaleable)
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Tasting notes
The 1988 Calon Segur is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Though I have tasted most vintages of this estate since 1982, this was in fact the first time to taste this particular vintage. It has a rustic, slightly ferrous bouquet, dominated by black fruit, copper piping, damp loam and undergrowth. You perceive a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc than actually exists in the blend, nonetheless it is a charming old school Saint-Estèphe bouquet. The palate is medium-bodied with melted tannin and a softer texture than I expected. There is quite a noticeable bell pepper component in situ, ferrous in style, earthy and what you might call “solid”. It fades a little towards the mushroom-tinged finish. Now at 30-years old, it is a wine that would show much better at the dinner table than on its own. Tasted at the château.
Critic scores
Wine Spectator
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Magnum. Wonderfully deep crimson. Nose opened out in the glass. Very correct St Estèphe but with a tinge of rusty nails on the finish. Not too tannic but very, very firm. Definite mineral notes plus exceptionally ripe black fruits. This still has a way to go and has none of the awkwardness of some 1988s. (JR)
The 1988 Calon-Segur outshines both wines from the more heralded vintages of 1989 and 1990. Deeply colored, superbly balanced, rich and full bodied, it appears to be a worthy candidate for another 15-20 years of longevity. It is a classic example of this chateau's wine - cedary, very fragrant, with plenty of sweet red and black currant fruit. I should also note that it is surprisingly powerful for the vintage. It gets my nod as the finest Calon-Segur between 1982 and 1995. Anticipated maturity: Now-2020. Last tasted, 6/97.
Extremely concentrated and intense in flavor, and very firmly structured with tannins. Fruity enough for the flavor to last on the finish, where a touch of leather makes it rustic. – Wine Spectator 1991
About the producer
Wedding gift lists traditionally include wine glasses or cutlery, but in 1718, Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur, the owner of Château Lafite and Château Latour and president of the Bordeaux parliament, received a rather more impressive present: Château Calon.