Grand Cru Classe

Calon Segur Grand Cru Classe 1996

We were recently gifted with this marvellous wine – it was a tremendous pleasure to drink!
What remarkable generosity on the part of the man who gave us this bottle…!

Text from vintagewinegifts.co.uk Scoring 92/100 Parker points and from the very good 1996 vintage, this lovely red wine “is opaque ruby/purple-colored, full-bodied, ferociously tannic, and crammed with fruit and extract. Made in an uncompromising, traditional style, this wine will require a decade of patience. There is plenty of sweet fruit on the attack, and while the tannins are high, they are remarkably ripe with no evidence of astringency or vegetal characteristics. This appears to be a profound, classic, muscular, and powerful Calon-Segur that will age effortlessly for 30-40 years. Readers should remember that this estate possesses one of the greatest terroirs of Bordeaux, and produced a bevy of legendary wines in the twenties, late forties, and early fifties. Since then, it has been something of a hit or miss property, but under her administration, Madame Gasqueton has produced consistently outstanding wines. The 1996, a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, was made from extremely low yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare.

We accompanied the Calon Sègur with simple but very nice Spaghetti Vongole. Prepared with fine olive oil, garlic, chillies and white wine. Thanks to Giorgio Locatelli for the hint to “total reduction” in cooking this.

Spaghetti Vongole