Château Phélan Ségur 2022

Expressive and complex, with great depth on the bouquet: cassis, blueberries, blackberries, violets; ripe fruit with a cool expression. Elegant on the palate, firm, dense, incredibly compact, with plenty of tannins and outstanding freshness. An excellent Phélan-Ségur, built for a small eternity.

Plush and warm in feel, this offers plum and blackberry compote notes flecked with chestnut and bay and underscored by warm stone and leather through the finish. Broad and slow-moving, but with clear definition, plus a nice muscular edge that hints at its buried power. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2040. 12,000 cases made.

A delicious and well-constructed wine from the Phélan team in 2022. Polished, balanced and so drinkable—the proximity to the river and clay soils helping to keep freshness in the hot, dry conditions. Gorgeous texture straight away: clean, clear, juicy, vibrant and grippy, with a chalky, flinty 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, and a wonderful spicy, 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. pH 3.8. 96 IPT. Harvest took 13 days in total, from 14–26 September, whereas the last three years picking has started on 24 September. A yield of 28 hl/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.

A very structured red for Phelan Segur with incredibly powerful tannins that are long and linear. At the same time, there's deep, dark fruit underneath. Blackcurrants and blackberries. Medium-bodied with lots of grape phenolics and a palate full of dried spices. It's very muscular yet toned and balanced. 56% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon, 2% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. A Phelan for the long term. Old-school in a modern way. Best after 2029.

56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Dark- and red-fruit notes. Juicy fruit on the palate. Powerful yet elegant at the same time. Plentiful tannins but finely honed. Lovely freshness. Persistent finish. Harmonious. (JL)

The 2022 Phélan Ségur is fabulous, perhaps a little on the ripe side, but still notable. Black cherry, gravel, scorched earth, cloves and licorice explode onto the palate. Virile and brooding, Phélan Ségur screams with character and personality.

Deep in color, aromatically, the wine displays black, dark red, and blue fruits, smoke, espresso, flowers, and chocolate with a hint of spice on the nose. On the palate, the wine is rich, lush, and polished, with layers of sweet fruits that are vibrant and lively, finishing loaded with chocolate, black cherries, cinnamon, plums, licorice, and espresso. The blend is 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026–2045.

Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, purple reflections, brightening on the rim. Fresh cherries, fine nuances of cassis and liquorice, some nougat and old wood. Complex, substantial, ripe berryish fruit, freshly structured with fine supporting tannins. Mineral and lasting, an elegant, harmonious wine with certain ageing potential and good length; convincing.

Inky dark purple core and hue. Intense and pure nose displaying wild berries, cassis, blackberry, truffle, mild toast, and oak. The palate is dense and muscular with good layers of savory dark fruit and mild butterscotch from the oak, grainy tannin, a fresh backbone of acidity, and a very long, persistent finish.

Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Phelan Segur checks in as 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that comes from a slightly different mix of their estate parcels and saw a shorter maceration followed by 18 months in 55% new French oak. Rocking aromatics of crème de cassis, spring flowers, spicy oak, and hints of smoky tobacco define the bouquet. It's full-bodied, pure, and elegant on the palate, with a seamless, layered mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and a great finish. This remarkably textured, balanced 2022 will keep for 20-25 years.

Elegant and well balanced, with a ton of St Estèphe signature, this is really impressive, well controlled, with purity and depth to the cassis fruits, sweetened by cherry pie, flaky pastry, cinnamon, and a welcome bitter finish of aniseed and cocoa beans that brings balance to the overall richness of the palate. There are big tannins but also clean wet stone minerality, and the palate stretches out, giving grip and no let-up in intensity. 55% new oak, pH 3.8, 28 hl/ha yield. Blend finished in March, 28 l/ha yield. Selected native yeasts.

An enticing yet precise, characterful nose that combines ripe fruit with sappy energy. On the palate, this harmony gains breadth, fresh and saline, with the addition of delicately velvety tannins bringing appetizing volume. The finish, ultra-refined, with mocha notes, leaves you craving another sip.

If Frank Phélan revealed itself with serenity, Phélan Ségur adds precision and depth. Its multiple, subtle nuances highlight both complexity and precision. On the palate, the wine bridges vigor and elegance. It shows temperament and depth, and benefits from the valuable support of delicate bitters that reinforce both the freshness and the persistence of the finish. The bar was set very high by Frank Phélan and the estate’s teams; the wine rose to the challenge with astonishing confidence.

Black color. Intense, delicate, fruity, subtle and fragrant nose. Touch of bourbon vanilla, spices and dark fruit. Precise on the attack, with an immediately silky feel and plenty of flavor; the wine melts at mid-palate. It unfolds long, with a slightly oaky nuance, followed by exuberant dark fruit. It is the most accomplished I taste here. Blend: 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Alcohol: 14.2% – pH: 3.8. IPT: 96. Yield: 28 hl/ha.

The proportion of Merlot is unprecedented, 56%, giving it undeniable charm from the very first nose, where a concentrated violet note pairs with a delicate toasted hint. The juicy, expansive attack reveals a vertical architecture, woven tannins, lovely flavors of crunchy blackcurrant, and then a terrific length.