2017 Château Calon-Ségur

Tasted blind.  Deep ruby colour. Sweet spice from oak on the nose adding some generosity to red-cherry fruit. There is an exotic edge that is a little discordant to the aromas for now. Succulent and plush on the palate, this is modern and hedonistic, trying to flesh out the stricter style of the vintage. It is somewhat successful, but the pithy tannins and high acidity just detract from the finish. Perhaps this will settle together in time. (TP)

The 2017 Calon Ségur is attractive, but it has not come together as well as I had hoped it would. Soft and easygoing, the 2017 is decidedly light and lacking in both depth and complexity. Red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender and spice are some of the notes that develop in a soft, easygoing Calon that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Technical Director Vincent Millet and Estate Manager Laurent Dufau have done tremendous work at Calon over the last few years, but there was only so much they could do in 2017. Tasted two times.

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Calon-Ségur features warm plums, cassis, baked cherries and mulberries, earth, meats and cedar on the nose with notes of lavender and olives. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant and intense with firm, fine-grained tannins and great length, finishing minerally. This wine was aged in 100% new French oak barrels for 20 months. The blend is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.