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  • Country ranking ?

    1 259
  • Producer ranking ?

    35
  • Decanting time

    2h
  • When to drink

    now to 2030
  • Food Pairing

    Beef

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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 ge...

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Wine Information

1961 was to become the decade’s and one of the century’s most adored vintages of Bordeaux red wines

Despite a frost in March, the growing season started on time and well. The frost combined with weak pollination caused by poor weather reduced the crop volume significantly.  July’s rains gave way to drier weather in August, and September bathed Bordeaux in beautiful sunshine. The grapes were small, thick-skinned and extremely concentrated,...

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Vintage 1961

1961 - the greatest Bordeaux vintage of all time?

I am writing this during the primeur campaign and I notice that Bordeaux château owners and merchants have been exceptionally quiet this year. I've been following this part of the market remotely for almost 30 years now and have been told about a lot of the "vintages of the century". Once wines are bottled and sold or vice versa, as is the case in Bordeaux, these claims tend to be changed.

...

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Tasting note

color

Light, Brick red and Dark

ending

Long, Smooth and Lingering

flavors

Earthy, Blackcurrant, Mint, Licorice, Tar and Coffee

nose

Open, Rich, Complex and Ripe

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Medium tannin, Balanced, Well-Integrated, Well-structured, Developing, Medium-bodied, Refined, Harmonious, Elegant and Silky tannins

Verdict

Sophisticated and Well-rounded

Written Notes

Rather dark, amber colour. Powerful, spicy nose with tar, bouillon and liquorice. Really elegant taste. Medium-to-full-bodied and refined fruity taste supported by stylish tannins and acidity that gives dimension. Still a very enjoyable wine, but not in its prime any longer.
  • 90p

Mature red-amber color. Developed aromas of singed plum, roasted cherry, currant, tobacco, marzipan and chocolate. Fat, rich and complex in the mouth, with lovely sweetness leavened by firm acids. Fully evolved but still fresh. Very solidly structured wine but perhaps beginning to lose its grip on the end.

  • 92p

The 1961 Calon-Ségur has never really been the greatest Saint Estèphe and I have tended to prefer the 1959. Showing some bricking on the rim, it has a mature and rather bucolic bouquet, light cedar and forest floor aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with firm; grippy tannin, although you wish there was more fruit. It feels quite advanced towards the finish with a long mushroomy aftertaste. Bottles in larger formats and perfect provenance might be interesting but bottles should be consumed in the near future. Tasted at an off-line dinner in London.

  • 86p
Low shoulder fill I'm told, ruby with orange rim. Leather, cassis, prunes, figs, slightly dusty, intense, layered and complex. Fresh acidity, few tannins, elegant, lovely texture, fresh and delicate for the vintage, nuanced, slightly drying finish, long. 94
  • 94p
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Information

Origin

St.Estephe, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Extraordinary

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

No Potential

Fake factory

None

Glass time

1h

Drinking temperature

17
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