CHATEAU PHELAN-SEGUR Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 2022 Bottle

Description

Château Phélan-Ségur, a distinguished 4ème Cru Classé in Saint-Estèphe, has consistently produced exceptional wines with a blend of tradition and modernity. The 2022 vintage is particularly noteworthy, receiving high praise from critics, including 96-97 points from James Suckling for its energetic profile and layers of fruit, minerals, and fine tannins. Decanter awarded it 95 points, lauding its polished texture and vibrant acidity, while noting the juicy bramble and cherry fruit complemented by a mineral signature. Vinous also rated it 95 points, highlighting its understated nose of blackberry, bilberry, and pencil lead, with a well-balanced palate featuring gentle spice and an impressive finish. With a drinking window from 2027 to 2039, this wine promises both enjoyment now and remarkable aging potential.

ABOUT THIS WINE

JAMES SUCKLING 96-97 Points
13 Apr, 2023 – 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 95 points
Drinking Window: 2027 - 2039 - 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. - Georgina Hindle Apr 23

VINOUS 95 points
The 2022 Phélan Ségur comes from a growing season that was not straightforward due to the hail in June that cost 30% of production. This obliged the team to reconfigure the blend, as the first trials were found to be too rich and tannic. But the depleted yields produced an outstanding wine that will vie with the 2020 as a benchmark for the estate. The 2022 is actually quite understated on the nose with fine delineation of blackberry, bilberry, pencil lead and light forest floor scents. The palate is very well balanced with pliant tannins and a keen line of acidity, gently spiced with black truffle and subtle peppery notes toward the well-knit finish. This is an outstanding Saint-Estèphe that you would assume comes from a cooler growing season. Given market prices, this comes recommended. - Neal Martin

THE WINE ADVOCATE (91 - 93) points
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. - William Kelley, 28th Apr 2023

JANCIS ROBINSON 17++ points
Deep and dark. Surprisingly fragrant in a vintage where the tannins dominate. Massively tannic though the tannins are not out of kilter with the intense dark fruit. Hard to taste now but I think this is going to be very good if you can wait. (JH)

-----

ABOUT CHATEAU PHELAN-SEGUR
Château Phélan-Ségur is a noted Saint-Estèphe estate, long associated with robust, textural wines that marry power and refinement. Founded in the early 19th century by Irishman Bernard Phélan and later shaped by the Ségur family, the property occupies well-drained gravel and clay soils that favour Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with plantings also including Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to add aromatic lift and structure. Its situation within the northern Médoc subjects the vineyards to a cool Atlantic influence, which helps preserve acidity and promote gradual phenolic ripening, yielding wines with concentration, freshness and ageing potential.

Vineyard management at Phélan-Ségur focuses on parcel differentiation, careful canopy work and yield control to ensure ripe, balanced fruit. The estate has invested in replanting, clonal selection and sustainable practices to enhance vine health and fruit expression, while respecting the site’s natural characteristics. In the cellar, meticulous sorting precedes fermentation in temperature controlled vats, with extraction tailored to the style sought, and élevage in French oak to provide structure and subtle oak complexity without obscuring varietal purity.

The Grand Vin of Château Phélan-Ségur is typically marked by an expressive bouquet of blackcurrant and plum, tobacco and graphite notes, and a pronounced mineral undertow that reflects Saint-Estèphe’s terroir. On the palate the wine offers a firm, layered tannic framework, concentrated fruit and a salivating acidity that supports long maturation. While youthful bottles can be austere, patience reveals developed secondary aromas and a polished, persistent finish. The estate also produces a second wine, which offers earlier approachability while retaining a sense of the château’s muscular yet elegant signature.

Through careful stewardship and investment in both vineyard and cellar, Château Phélan-Ségur continues to assert its place among the Médoc’s respected properties, producing wines that balance power with nuance, and reward both near term enjoyment and extended cellaring.