| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Estèphe |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
This Saint Estephe property was formerly known as Capbern Gasqueton and has the same owners and wine-making team as Calon Ségur. The vineyard is 38 hectares and planted 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. It is situated, in one block, between Phelan Segur and Meyney.
The 2016 Capbern from the Calon-Ségur team, matured in 50-60% new oak, has a wonderful bouquet of blackberry, pencil lead and light floral aromas that leap out of the glass. The beautifully balanced palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, leading to a supple, smooth but complex graphite finish. This is a superb Capbern, easily the best ever made. Drink 2021-2040
Very pretty fruit with dark berries, plums and currants. Hints of sweet tobacco. Medium bodied, firm and silky. Lovely, juicy finish with delicious acidity at the end. The 18 per cent of fabulous cabernet franc in this makes it special. Hard not to drink now, but better in 2023.
The 2016 Capbern is deep garnet colored. It bursts with scents of black cherries, mulberries, and cassis, plus suggestions of underbrush and pencil lead with a waft of Indian spices. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with spicy black fruits, delivering velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long.
Deep ruby colour, similar to the 2014 but with a little more vibrancy. On the palate, the depth and concentration is clear, with layers of damson plum, cocoa bean, mandarin peel, earth and peat. Full of charm and character, with higher alcohols than many but no trace of heat.
40% Merlot.
Tasted blind. Very dark crimson. Juicy and lively with real pace and intensity and some chalky, slightly inky, dry finish. Good fruit concentration. VGV
Drink 2025 – 2040
Deep ruby-purple in the glass with an effusive nose of blackcurrant, graphite and smoke on the nose. Muscular yet suave on the palate, there is rich, fine-grained tannin at the core. Pure cassis, cool cherries and sweet spices mingle together and are lifted by the structure and acids. Intense and pure on a lingering finish that is etched with pencil shavings and smoke. You could approach this now with a healthy decant, but it will doubtless be better in two years and improve for a further 8-10. It has the intensity and structure to age for up to two decades.
Made by the stellar team at Calon Ségur, the 2016 Château Capbern is fabulous stuff that readers should snatch up. Based on 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot raised in 60% new French oak, this deeply colored Saint-Estèphe offers textbook crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, crushed tobacco leaf, and damp earth. Deep, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, with fine tannins and everything in the right places, it’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for upwards of two decades. 2022 - 2042.
The fruit on the nose is fresh the start of the palate tight with firm tannins in the middle. Sweeter towards the back some concentrated flavours the finish is bright with a mix of bramble and black cherry. 2024-35
A serious contender for the crown of best value wine of the vintage, this a supremely drinkable St Estèphe with no rough edges. Grassy, aromatic and beautifully weighted, it’s a comparatively forward style with a touch of underlying grip and a mineral flourish. 2020-28
The 2016 Capbern (the erstwhile "Château Capbern-Gasqueton") is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, delivering around 14% alcohol with a total acidity of 3.5 grams per liter. It was cropped at 42 hectoliters per hectare and is being matured in 60% new French oak. It has a clean and precise bouquet with blackberry, mint and just a hint of boot polish. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin; this is a typical Saint-Estèphe in terms of a bold, almost Montrose-like tannic structure, gently grippy with more than enough freshness on the pert finish. There is a lovely touch of cracked black pepper on the aftertaste. Give this three or four years in bottle as this is a fine Château Capbern. Drink 2021 - 2040.
Love the stone, tar and black currant in this. Full and tight with firm and silky tannins and a long, long finish. Spicy, too. Can’t wait to see how this evolves. Serious.
The 2016 Capbern is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot aged for 18 months in 60% new and 40% one-year-old oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with cedar, blackberries and blueberries with wafts of tobacco, bay leaves and scorched earth. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and vibrant in the mouth, it possesses lovely poise and an earthy finish. 2019 - 2036
This shows a great combination of deep, intense cassis and loganberry fruits and chalky, almost chewy, tannins. There is a slow creep of power, but with a sense of lightness in the touch. This is a reliable property, known as Capbern Gasqueton until 2013, that has delivered another hugely drinkable vintage - the IPT of 78 is similar to the 2014. The blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot spends 18 months in 60% new oak. 3.7pH.
Drinking Window 2024 - 2038
Very deep crimson. Round and flattering texture with lots of zappy tannin. A little more angular than the famous 2009 but very easy to drink. Tannins quite marked at the moment. Very round tannins but they are there in such profusion that you will have to wait... GV 14%
Drink 2024-2032
This Saint Estephe property was formerly known as Capbern Gasqueton and has the same owners and wine-making team as Calon Ségur. The vineyard is 38 hectares and planted 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. It is situated, in one block, between Phelan Segur and Meyney. Cedar and fresh black fruits on the nose. The palate here is firm, chalky and classic with cassis, cocoa and herbal undertones. Hints of peper and incense come through onto a harmonious, elegant finish.
