Chateau Phélan Ségur Saint Estephe 2022
Country: France Region: Bordeaux
Varietal: 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
Vintage: 2022 Colour: Red Style: Dry
Producer: Chateau Phelan Ségur
Description:
One of Saint Estephe’s benchmark producers, Phelan Ségur was founded by Bernard Phelan who united two neighbouring properties, Clos de Garramey and Ségur, and added his name in keeping with the traditions of the time. In 1860 his son, Frank Phelan, built the stunning country house on the estate which by this time was the largest in the Saint Estèphe appellation. In 2017 the property sold for a record €90 million to Belgian investor Philippe Van de Vyvere.
Today the property has 70 hectares of vineyards planted on exceptional terroir, sitting on a ridge of clay and gravel soils above the Gironde estuary. As the saying goes, “the greatest terroirs look to the water”, and Phelan Segur’s wines offer both power and character with excellent potential for extended ageing in the cellar over the next decade and beyond.
The estate’s Grand Vin is primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon along with a smaller proportion of Merlot and a drop of Cabernet Franc. To allow for precise blending, each parcel of vines is vinified separately with ageing taking place in 50% new French oak barrels for 16-18 months. This helps to soften the firm tannins and add subtle hints of woodsmoke and spice to the luscious cassis, blackberry and dark plum fruit.
97/100 Points
James Suckling
Loads of fruit here. Energetic, with layers of tannins. Full-bodied. It builds at the end and opens like a butterfly. Hints of minerals and iron. Best ever? 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. 
97/100 Points
Vinous Aged in 55% new oak, it has an enticingly pure bouquet with blackberry and bilberry fruit, blackcurrant, iris flower and light iodine scents. Very intense and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, a liberal sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper laced over the black fruit. A quintessentially Saint-Estèphe with a structured and very persistent finish. Allowing the wine to open in the glass, it reveals impressive depth (more so than the 2019 and 2020) and precision. This will require several years in bottle, but it will certainly be worth the wait.
96/100 Points
Jeb Dunnuck I was lucky enough to be able to taste the 2022 Château Phélan Ségur on multiple occasions, and it always impressed, offering a deep purple hue as well as a ripe, powerful bouquet of darker currant and cassis-like fruits interwoven with leafy herbs, tobacco, and chocolate. A ripe, full-bodied, opulent wine, it has beautiful tannins, a layered, concentrated mouthfeel, and a great finish. It’s going to be as good, if not better, than the 2018 and 2019, and I continue to love what director Véronique Dausse accomplishes at this address.
93/100 Points
Robert Parker Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries, crème de cassis, sweet berries and spices, framed by creamy new oak, the 2022 Phélan Ségur is medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with plenty of sweet fruit and chewy structuring tannin. It's a persuasive Saint-Estèphe in a more modern, extracted style.
