View analysis




Description
Tasting notes

Reviewed by: William Kelley
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.

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
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.

Reviewed by: 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.

Reviewed by: James Suckling
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.
About the Producer
Chateau Phelan Segur is one of the wineries in the Saint-Estephe region of Bordeaux, France, and a member of the Union Des Grands Crus De Bordeaux. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Château Fragrance, located in the heart of the Saint-Estèphe appellation, has commanded majestic views over the Gironde. Irishman Bernard Phelan created this winery by merging two vineyards, Clos de Garramey and Domaine Segur. Later, Bernard's son Frank expanded the industry and changed the name of the winery to "Flying Dragon Family Winery" in the early 20th century. Under the careful care of the owner, the Fragrance Family Winery is famous for its elegant, delicate and mild style wines. In 1985, the Gardinier family bought the winery and it has been in operation ever since. The current vineyard area of Fragrance Saga Winery is 70 hectares, of which 55% of the land is used for Cabernet Sauvignon (Cabernet Sauvignon) grapes, 43% of the land is used to cultivate Merlot (Merlot) grapes, 1% of the land It is used to cultivate Petit Verdot, and 1% of the land is used to cultivate Cabernet Franc grapes. When the grapes reach the ideal ripeness, the winery will pick them manually. After picking, the grapes are screened, peeled, and then fermented in the traditional way. The fermented wine is then aged for 16-18 months in 60% new French oak barrels before being bottled in the winery. The Fragrance family winery produces three dry red wines, namely the Frank Phelan brand and the Fragrance family Bernie dry red wine (La Croix), which is mainly made from Cabernet Sauvignon from better vineyards. Bonis, Saint-Estephe, France), the current average annual production is 200,000 bottles.