WTN: 1996 Château Calon-Ségur

Looks like I'm on the high end of the rating bell-curve on this one, compared to other CT as well as professional notes. So be it...

Decanted 2 hours, poured back into the bottle, re-corked and foiled so I could bring it to the restaurant stealthily as "unopened."

Beautiful wine. Expressive and complex nose and palate. Cocoa-dusted current, cedar, peat, some floral elements as well as deep minerality. Medium bodied, medium finish, elegant. Tannins present but more senescent than in previous years, contributing to perfect balance.

Could it be sentimentality because this is our Anniversary Wine (married in '96, the bottle has a heart on the label, and we enjoyed several vintages before we were married and since)? Did the outdoor sunset dinner and company influence and enhance my perception of the wine? Probably, but something as subjective as taste is bound to be influenced by environment and mood. That said, regardless of whether I rate this a 90 or a 98, this wine was outstanding on this night (96 pts.)

Glad I got to share a glass with Jenise, who was coincidentally at the same restaurant, apparently starting week two of her Birthfortnight celebration (Happy Birthday!!!)

I have been waiting for a positive note on this wine to justify opening another one. The ones I opened previously were way too young. Thanks for the excuse.

It's one of the gifts I like giving to good friends for their wedding, a magnum of the current vintage, a mag decanter and a couple of nice glasses due to the fact that it has a heart on the label.

I have been waiting for a positive note on this wine to justify opening another one. The ones I opened previously were way too young. Thanks for the excuse.

Great! Looking forward to your impressions. Hope you enjoy it as much.
Warren

[Jenise]

Warren, I thought this excellent. It's in a very happy place right now and one of the better Calon Segurs I've ever had. And do know that your gesture saved a life, because at the point that you brought this over to me I was weighing the option of life in prison vs. letting my crummy waiter go free and I very well might have made the latter choice had anything less than a fine glass of Bordeaux appeared out of nowhere to help me appreciate the advantages of freedom.

Happy Anniversary!