Chateau Phelan Segur 2022

WEINWISSER: "56 % Merlot, 40 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Petit Verdot, 28 hl/ha, 14.2 Vol.-%, 75 % Grand Vin. Komplexes schwarzbeeriges Bouquet, Wildkirsche, betörende Veilchen und edle Cassiswürze, dahinter Heidelbeergelee, Heidekraut und erkalteter Waldfrüchtetee. Am vielschichtigen, straff geschnittenen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, perfekt stützender Rasse, engmaschigem Tanningerüst, zeigt seine typischen St. Estèphe-Krallen und seinen muskulösen Körper. Im konzentrierten langanhaltenden Finale Wildkirsche, Estragon und dunkler Graphit. Ein Monument von Wein, viermal degustiert. Gehört zu den besten Weinen der Appellation und ist auf klarem Weg zur höheren Note. 2030 – 2050."

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."

DECANTER: "A delicious and well-constructed wine from the Phélan team in 2022. Polished, balanced and just so drinkable - proximity to the river and clay soil helping keep freshness in the hot and dry conditions. A gorgeous texture straight away, clean and clear, juicy, vibrant and grippy with a chalky, flint and graphite element to the fine tannins. You really feel they've taken the best the vintage had to offer with precise definition to all the elements; ripe bramble and cherry fruit, high acidity with a wonderful spiced and mineral signature from the St-Estephe terroir. A combination of power and charm that builds in structure and intensity while keeping a mouthwatering energy from start to finish. A top buy - and could be upscored in bottle! Tasted four times throughout April and loved it every time. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.8pH. 96IPT. Harvest took 13 days in total, from 14 - 26 September whereas the last three years picking has started on the 24th September. A yield of 28hl/ha. 75% grand vin production. The team have also been working for the past few years on different yeasts for fermentation in order to get more precision and a stronger link to the vineyards. 50% of production in 2022 was vinified using natural yeasts - five strains taken from five plots and used to vinify grapes from each of their respective parcels. Julien Viaud consultant. HVE/Terra Vitis."

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."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Deep in color, the wine is smoky, with chocolate covered plums, black raspberries, spices, violets, and cinnamon coming through in the nose. The wine is rich, lush and polished. The fruits are dark, ripe, sweet, and fresh, leaving you with a finish packed with powdered chocolate, black cherries, turmeric, black currants, plums, licorice, and espresso. This should be quite enjoyable on release. The wine blends 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 14.2% ABV, 3.8 pH. Harvesting took place September 14, - September 26. Yields were only 28 hectoliters per hectare. 2025-2045."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Frische Herzkirschen, feine Nuancen von Cassis und Lakritze, etwas Nugat und Edelholz. Komplex, stoffig, reife Beerenfrucht, frisch strukturiert, feine tragende Tannine, mineralisch und anhaftend, ein eleganter, harmonischer Wein mit Potenzial und Länge, überzeugend."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: „The 2022 Phelan Segur is made from 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, with a yield of 28 hl/ha. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out with rambunctious notes of kirsch, black cherries, boysenberry preserves, and garrigue, followed by suggestions of lilacs, Sichuan pepper, and cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with juicy black fruit and red berry sparks, supported by firm, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, leading to a long and spicy finish on this very pretty wine. pH 3.8, TPI 96."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

VINUM: "Besonders fleischiger und doch saftiger, erfrischender Phélan mit perfekt reifem Tannin; besitzt Schliff und geschmeidige Eleganz ohne jede Spur von Schwerfälligkeit."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Dark- and red-fruit notes. Juicy fruit on the palate. Powerful but elegant at the same time. Plentiful tannins but finely honed. Lovely freshness. Persistent finish. Harmonious."