The Auswine Forum

Chateau Calon-Segur 1982: On opening the bottle the cork was found to look as if it had been on the bottom of a compost heap for the last 23 years and it smelt like it, the worse was feared. Not so. In the glass it was drity brown, Barnyard, vegetal nose which grew stronger over the 2hr drinking time. The strongest flavour in the mouth were chocolate then tea, cigar box and some of those secondary berry fruit notes. The wine was sweet and soft, no acid or tannin all gone, lovely mouth feel but it did just fade away a bit to quickly at the end. The wine is on the down hill path, was at its best a couple of years ago, I think if it was better cellered it would be fresher and have a longer life. I enjoyed the wine and wish i could drink more of its like.
Chateau Calon-Segur is one of the most northern vineyards of all the classisified growths and tends to be made from 50% Cab Sav, 25% each of Cab Franc, Merlot.

Thx Geoffrey

I have had 6 bottles of this over past 5 years and all variable. 2nd last one at Attila was badly oxidised. My last bottle about 2 months ago was superb and the best of the lot - so youn and powerful. Irrestpective of cellaring conditions, i always now worry about wines (or more specifically corks) when the wine is greater than 20 years old).

Unfortunately the Chateau Calon-Segur was only a one of that a friend had been give as payment for a job. He him self does not like that style of wine and that evening he drank my bottle of Unison Selection 2002 while i chewed my way though the Bordeaux, i thought it a good deal . I think the wine that Parker reviewed was in far Superior condition than my bottle, my friend keeps a small amount of wine but the cellaring has a lot to be desired.
I would like to drink a lot more of those types of wine but price is a handicap and at times because of my tastes and the cost i think I'm cursed. I try to feed the habit by purchasing cheaper Bordeaux's. Ive come across a wine merchant in Dunedin who has a good range of cheap wines, my latest purchases have been

Adet St Emllion NZ$18
CH Grand Ciopeau Oliver $18
CH Haut Florin $12
CH Tetre de Moines $18
CH Bel Air Raillon $12
CH Vincent $14
CH Bellevue la Ferriere $13

They are nothing flash but they are all good clean wines mostly Merlot/ Cab blends.Good quaffers and something different.