The name of Calon Ségur is deeply rooted in Bordeaux's history. The vineyard is planted in an ancient locality known as ¿Calones¿ that dates back to Roman times. The commune of which it is a part has long since been called Saint Estèphe-de-Calon. In the 18th century the Marquis de Ségur, President of Bordeaux's parliament, added his name to Calon. Also owning Mouton, Lafite and Latour, he showed a preference for this property, which he received on the occasion of his marriage. Hence his famous declaration, at the origin of the heart that still adorns the label: ¿I make my wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart lies in Calon¿. Known as the Prince of the Vines, he even had some of the pebbles from the vineyard polished and made into buttons for his coat!
Today, Calon-Ségur's 55 hectares of vines are still largely surrounded by walls, a sufficiently rare feature in Bordeaux to be worth noting. Located in the extreme north of Saint Estèphe, the vines are planted on low-lying soil consisting of sandy gravel and limestone rocks.
Many of the vintages were quite extraordinary up until the early 1960s. After a difficult period, Château Calon-Ségur's wines regained their form with the 1982 vintage. Currently managed by Madame Capbern Gasqueton, the property has produced wines with superb depth in recent years that develop an exceptional aromatic palette. Well-made for long-ageing, these wines are slow to evolve and open up; they offer exceptional value for money.
