The 2009 Calon-Ségur is deep garnet in color and opens with a beautiful fragrance of redcurrant preserves, cassis, black cherry compote and red roses plus nuances of cigar box and cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied and wonderfully elegant in the mouth, it has a compelling line of very ripe, fine-grained tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the fragrant layers, finishing long and perfumed.

Delivers gorgeous aromas of blackberry, blueberry and licorice, with hints of tobacco and spice. Full-bodied, offering a lovely texture and refinement. Very long and beautiful, with tangy acidity and lively fruit. A rich, yet very balanced, Calon. This is almost all Cabernet Sauvignon instead of the normal blend with 40 percent Merlot. The chateau is now using 100 percent new wood. Like the changes. Score range: 93-96 -JS

Dense, very Cabernet (90%) nose of red/black berry fruits, great freshness, purity and length, a beautifully made, truly aristocratic wine.

From a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, the wine is big, broad and tannic. Clearly, there is a lot of fruit and density, but unlike many wines from the vintage, the wine is tight and hard to read in its youth. With effort, you get a sense of its deep coffee, blackberry, earth and spicy black cherry core. However, it's best to let this rest for at least a decade before popping a cork. I love this vintage for St. Estephe. My guess is, when the opens, it will score higher as many of the wines from the appellation are stunning in 2009.