Château Calon Ségur

This noble house was the Gallo-Roman capital and birthplace of Saint-Estèphe. The commune was formerly known as “Calones” and, until the 18th century, was called Saint-Estèphe-de-Calon. Calon, the main fief of the Lords of Lesparre, which in 1157 gave a bishop to Poitiers – Mgr de Calon – passed into the younger branch of the Gombaud family, as shown in a charter dated 10 June 1362. After the conquest of Guienne, the vineyard was successively owned by the d’Albret family, Sir Jean de Lur and then, through marriage, by Pierre de Marsan. In 1530, the de Marsan family sold Calon to Pierre de Valier, whose granddaughter married Jean de Gasq. In 1670, their granddaughter, Jeanne de Gascq, married Jacques de Ségur. In the 18th century, their grandson, Nicolas-Alexandre, nicknamed the Prince of Vines, also owned Lafite and Latour. He used to say: “I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is in Calon”. The heart on the Calon label is a reminder of this statement. There are many authentic texts to establish the continuity of vine-growing on the Calon-Ségur estate. They all enshrine the age-old stamp of “Premier Cru de Saint-Estèphe”. As a result, the famous 1855 classification had to include the vineyard and its château in its prestigious hierarchy. Since the end of the 19th century, the Gasqueton family name has been attached to this historic residence and its vineyards. In 2006, the vineyard was restructured by increasing the planting density and the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. A major renovation programme has been put in place, with a new vat room planned for 2016, as well as enlarging and optimising the ageing cellars. Following the death of owner Denise Gasqueton in 2011, and the differing wishes of the heirs, Suravenir, a subsidiary of the Crédit Mutuel Arkéa group, acquired Calon-Ségur and Capbern Gasqueton on 8 November 2012. The insurer has joined forces with the Videlot group, chaired by Jean-François Moueix, owner of Petrus and the Duclot trading house. Vincent Millet, recruited in 2006 by the Gasqueton family, is now the managing director.