Chateau Phélan Ségur 2018

Château Phelan Ségur  – Saint Estèphe

• Decanter – Jane Anson (94)

This is good quality in 2018, as it has consistently been over the past few vintages. It has a silky texture and is powerful but restrained, displaying the freshness and power of the clay that underpins the soils here and demonstrating just how good the Merlots were when they were picked at full ripeness but not more – here they were also given one week less than usual for the extraction. There’s plenty of concentration here but it’s hidden, latent, reserving its energy for the long haul. Harvest took place between 24 September and 11 October, with a good yield of 49hl/ha. 60% of the production went into the grand vin. 3.8pH. 77IPT.

• James Suckling – (95 – 96)

This is the most powerful Phélan Segur I have ever tasted. A solid core of dense fruit and layered tannins that are so refined and polished. Remains fresh, energetic and bright. Yet, there’s plenty of harmony and balance.

• ·         Wine Advocate – Lisa Perrotti-Brown (93 – 95)

he 2018 Phélan Ségur is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot, harvested from September 14 to October 4. The wine comes in at 14% alcohol, 3.8 pH and has an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 77. Deep purple-black in color, it springs from the glass with bright, vibrant notes of raspberry preserves, kirsch and ripe blackcurrants with hints of rose petals, tilled black soil, spice cake and warm plums plus a waft of star anise. Medium to full-bodied with a solid backbone of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, the palate sports a taut, muscular fruit profile with loads of bright red fruit sparks and a long, earthy finish.

“In 2018 we had very little hydric stress here because of the clay subsoil,” Directeur Général Véronique Dausse informed me. “Thanks to the clay, our alcohol levels were kept in check. We had a maximum of 15% of alcohol for certain lots. The quality of the Merlot was superb…but so was the Cabernet.” Yields came in at a very healthy 49 hectoliters per hectare here. The results are truly impressive.