Château Phélan Ségur - Saint-Estèphe 2018

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Powerful and elegant, in a style more akin to Saint-Julien than Saint-Estèphe, with fine tannins and a remarkable harmonious intensity, this wine will equal or surpass previous great vintages.

About the domain :

Owned by the Gardinier brothers (who also run Les Crayères in Reims and Taillevent restaurants in Paris), Phélan was sold in 2018 to a great Bordeaux wine enthusiast, Philippe Van de Vyvere. This cru, which is in some ways Calon-Ségur's first cousin, is one of the most renowned in the area. Wonderfully situated on the banks of the Garonne, it offers a very specific character, marked by notes of cedar and a good suppleness on the mid-palate. 2015 was one of the major successes in the appellation, 2016 and 2018 show a racy tannin worthy of the best crus classés.

Decanter

About the wine:

Bright, succulent, pulpy fruit. Blackberry, plum, chocolate and sage, with brilliant hold and muscular tannins. Yield: 48 hl/ha. 2024-2042

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

Situated on the plateau next to the village of Saint-Estèphe, this cru combines an impressive array of neo-classical buildings with a prime terroir: 70 hectares of clay gravel. And renowned owners. In 1810, Bernard Phélan, who already owned Dom. de Garamey, bought land from Joseph-Marie de Ségur, Comte de Cabanac (who was merely homonymous with the Ségurs of Lafite and Calon). Then, for a long time, the Delon family, a reference in the Médoc, Xavier Gardinier from 1985 and finally Philippe Van de Vyvere since 2018.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

This beautiful, emblematic Saint-Estèphe estate, with its superb terroir on the banks of the Gironde, has had a new owner since January 2018. Belgian industrialist Philippe Van de Vyvere now has the task of writing the future pages of what is indisputably one of the Médoc's finest non-classified growths. He has all the keys in hand and should continue along the path he has been following for several years now. Phélan Ségur produces a noble wine, not always demonstrative, but distinguished and ageing well.

Vinous

About the wine:

Phélan Ségur 2018 is just as convincing in bottle as it was en primeur. Deep and beautifully layered, with exceptional finesse and personality, the 2018 delivers the goods. Aromas of blue and black fruits, gravel, spices, menthol, licorice and dried herbs develop as the 2018 vintage unfolds its allure. The richness of the 2018 vintage is abundant, but so is the structure. The 2018 is simply exquisite. 2026 - 2043

James Suckling

About the wine:

Aromas of blackcurrant, spice and flowers lead to a medium-bodied palate with fine tannins and a delicious, savory finish. So pleasant to drink now, but will improve with age. Very refined and balanced. Try after 2022.

Terre de Vins

About the wine:

Certainly one of the appellation's finest successes. It has everything going for it. Spared from all the vagaries of the vintage, it announces 49 hl/ha, a very fine performance. Deep color, generous, complex bouquet, gently unfolding mature flavors of burlat cherry and graphite, dense, fresh sensations, rich, silky-grained tannins, sapid greed and minerality. An exceptional wine.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Tasted for the 3rd time in just a few weeks, this wine seems to be shaping up as one of Phélan Ségur's greatest successes of the last 30 years (along with 2005, 2014 and 2016)! It reveals its terroir, finesse and power so well. Dense, fleshy and racy on the palate, ideally supported by acidity and precise, powerful tannins. Beautiful fruity persistence on the finish. 2026-2053

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

The flagship of the range, the 2018 Château Phélan Ségur, is a beauty based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot. This was a great vintage for the Médoc, and the 2018 reveals a dense purple hue that is accompanied by powerful notes of blackcurrant, iron, smoky tobacco, chocolate and earth. Rich, full-bodied and concentrated, it shows beautiful tannins, remarkable purity of fruit and everything that's needed. It has a certain immediate appeal today (no doubt due to its high Merlot content), but fleshes out in the glass over time, showing more and more structure with aeration. It deserves to age in bottle for 5-6 years, and will keep for 20-25. It's every bit as good as the 2016, if not better.