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Wine Description
The Story
Fifty-five hectares (136 acres) at the time of the 1855 classification, fifty-five hectares today: the estate is a rare example of consistency of terroir over the centuries.
The vineyard is made up of one single block adjacent to the village of Saint-Estèphe. Unique in the Médoc, it is completely surrounded by a stone wall. Inside, closest to the château, this “enclos” groups together the most famous plots of Calon.
There are very few geological models that can be compared with the terroir of Calon Ségur. The vines delve down into a deep gravel layer that was deposited there by the river. This layer covers another which is predominantly clay. This combination of clay and gravel soils is one of the main reasons for the power and finesse displayed in the wines of Calon Ségur.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the backbone of Calon Ségur. This grape variety makes up over three-quarters of the blend, and in great years its proportion can be as high as 90%.
No great wines can ever be made without constant and meticulous care of the vines. The soils are ploughed in the time-honoured tradition. From spring to autumn, vine canopy management tasks are done by large numbers of vineyard personnel. The crop is picked by hand at perfect ripeness.
| APPELLATION | Saint-Estèphe. Third classified Growth in 1855. |
|---|---|
| CONSULTANT ŒNOLOGIST | Éric Boissenot. |
| SOIL | A thick layer of gravel laid down during the Quaternary Period. Predominantly clay sub-soil from the Tertiary Period. At the summit of the gravel deposits, there is also a fine layer of clay of lacustrine origin. |
| VINEYARD AREA | 55 ha (136 acres). |
| AREA IN PRODUCTION | 45 ha (50 ha planted). |
| GRAPE VARIETIES | 53% Cabernet sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 7% Cabernet franc, 2% petit Verdot. |
| AVERAGE AGE OF THE VINES | 22 years. |
| TRAINING METHOD | Double Guyot. |
| PLANTING DENSITY | 8,000 vines/ha. |
| TARGET YIELD | 45 hl/ha. |
| HARVEST | Hand picking. A first selection of grapes on the vine. Mechanical sorting of the grapes by vibration, followed by hand sorting. |
| VINIFICATION | Temperature-controlled conical stainless-steel tanks. Maceration for 18 to 21 days. |
| AGEING | 18 to 20 months, 30% new barrels. Fining with egg white. |
| AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION | Around 80,000 bottles. |
Vintage 1929
L’année 1929 fut une année extraordinaire dans le vignoble bordelais comme à Wall Street. Lorsque le marché boursier américain s’est effondré en 1929, il a produit plusieurs effets indésirables à l’étranger, en particulier en Europe, où de nombreux pays ne s’étaient pas complètement remis des suites de la Première Guerre mondiale. En Allemagne, le désastre économique et la dislocation sociale qui en a résulté ont contribué à la montée d’Adolf aux États-Unis, il y avait 16 millions de chômeurs – environ un tiers de la main-d’œuvre disponible.
A Bordeaux le 1929 est l’un des millésimes « légendaires » du siècle. Sa réputation a été rendue encore plus grande que les années 30 ont vraiment été une décennie catastrophique, et ce n’est qu’en 1945 que quelque chose de qualité équivalente a été fabriqué. À Bordeaux, ces seize années ont été l’une des plus longues « périodes sombres » du 20e siècle. L’année 1929 a été extrêmement chaude et sèche, la plus sèche depuis le début du siècle. Il n’a plu que pendant une courte période pendant la récolte, mais le beau temps chaud est revenu. Les raisins sont devenus très concentrés, riches en tanins et ont produit du vin pour durer.
