CHATEAU PHELAN-SEGUR Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 2023 MAGNUM

Description

IN BRIEF
Château Phélan Ségur 2023 opens with measured intensity: concentrated blackcurrant, cassis and black cherry, pressed violet and a faint rose petal, edged by cedar, graphite and savoury tobacco. With air, bramble, smoked game and bay leaf emerge, plus an ironstone seam that sharpens terroir clarity. Medium–full-bodied, it has a smooth arrival, bright acidity and finely grained tannins that provide focus without weight. Ripe black fruit and plum sit against black olive and a twist of liquorice; the mid-palate builds dark chocolate, toasted cedar and baking spice, while a mineral seam and saline thread drive a long, resonant finish. Oak is judged and integrated. Drink now with decanting or cellar 10–15 years. Top scores: James Suckling 96–97; Decanter 95; Vinous 92–94.

ABOUT THIS WINE
Château Phélan Ségur Grand Cru Classé, Saint Estèphe 2023 opens with measured intensity, a classic Médoc profile shaped by a warm, ripe vintage and a clear mineral thread. The bouquet shows concentrated blackcurrant, cassis and black cherry, accompanied by pressed violet and a faint rose petal perfume, while cedar, graphite and a savoury tobacco leaf add depth and complexity. With gentle aeration, bramble, smoked game and bay leaf emerge, followed by a subtle ironstone note that underlines terroir clarity.

On the palate the 2023 is medium to full bodied, with a smooth, polished entry, bright acidity and a focused centre. Primary fruit is ripe and pure, black fruit and plum framed by black olive and a fine thread of liquorice. The mid palate builds with firm yet refined tannins, providing structure and shape without undue weight, supporting layers of dark chocolate, toasted cedar and baking spice. A persistent mineral seam and a saline thread give energy and drive through a long resonant finish.

Oak is well judged and integrated, offering vanilla, clove and gentle toast that accentuate the fruit rather than mask it. Texture is tactile and seamless, balancing silk and grip, the wine evolving in the glass to reveal increasing savoury complexity. Secondary notes of leather, cured meat and forest floor begin to show, adding nuance and length, while a faint graphite minerality keeps the profile precise and focused.

Drink now with decanting to reveal layered character, or cellar for ten to fifteen years to allow tertiary notes of truffle, sous bois and dried herb to knit with the fruit and tannin. Serve at 16 to 18°C with roast beef, braised lamb, matured cheeses or rich game dishes to complement its structural depth and savoury lines. Château Phélan Ségur 2023 is a serious Saint Estèphe, confident, structured and rewarding, offering both immediate appeal and the pedigree for long term evolution.

JAMES SUCKLING ***** 96-97 Points
8 Apr, 2024 – The polish and intensity of this wine is beautiful for the vintage, with blackcurrant, lead pencil and light chocolate character. It’s medium- to full-bodied with well-integrated fruit and tannins, and a long finish. Velvet texture. Excellent potential. Fermented from selected yeast from the various parcels. 58% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 1.5% petit verdot, and 1.5% cabernet franc. Let’s see which is better in the end, 2022 or 2023.

DECANTER 95 POINTS
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle (at Bordeaux, 08 Apr 2024) Part of Best St-Estèphe 2023 wines tasted en primeur
Drinking Window: 2028 - 2045
An excellent Phélan. Darkly fragrant, herbal and softly floral with blackcurrant, red cherry and coffee bean accents. Smooth and supple, gorgeous approachability in the juiciness and sense of life. So easy to enjoy this, cool and classic scents of blue fruits and crisp red fruit. Layered, clean and finessed. Svelte, not much muscle but there’s underlying power in the long finish with hints of mint. Extremely balanced and juicy, with a touch of sweetness and freshness and then the cleaning minerality comes through giving a powdery soft ending with elements of wet stone and graphite. Very St-Estephe and very successful. 52hl/ha yield. 60% grand vin, 40% second wine. Two thirds of the wine is vinified with with indigenous yeasts to give more terroir identity. Longest harvest ever at the estate, beginning on September 18 until October 11. 1.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

THE WINE ADVOCATE (91-93) points
Reviewed by: William Kelley
A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2023 Phélan Ségur offers up aromas of cassis, dark berries, licorice and toasty new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and nicely concentrated palate with plenty of powdery structuring tannin and good length on the finish. It's a strong effort.

VINOUS 92-94 points
Drinking window: 2029 - 2045
The 2023 Phélan Ségur was picked September 18 to October 11 at 52hL/ha and matured in 55% new oak. This has a very pure bouquet. You can actually tell that there is less SO2 being employed here since it displays that strong crushed strawberry fruit, almost confit-like character, turning more floral with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins. This is very well balanced, though not a Phélan Ségur laden with huge concentration (the analytical alcohol is a more restrained 13.54%). There is just a touch of balsamic that perks up the finish, while graphite notes join the chorus line toward the close. Quite an "involving" wine in the cards, this will be fascinating to revisit once in bottle. - Neal Martin. Tasting date: April 2024

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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.