2020 Château Phélan Ségur, St Estèphe, Bordeaux
- Red
- Dry
- Full Bodied
- Cabernet Sauvignon (54%),Merlot (42%),Petit Verdot (2%),Cabernet Franc (2%)
Not ready
- Antonio Galloni
- 91-93/100
- Neal Martin MW
- 93-95/100
- James Suckling
- 95-96/100
- Jeb Dunnuck
- 94-96/100
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
- 90-92+/100
- Jane Anson MW
- 94/100
Product: 20201014147
Description
Cabernet Sauvignon 54%, Merlot 42%, Cabernet Franc 2%, Petit Verdot 2%
There was a change of ownership (but not of the team) here in 2017. The estate’s trajectory of reliability and over-delivery continues. St Estèphe’s graphite notes are here in abundance, but they are well moderated by the hallmark toasty, almost savoury character of the wine. Its broad shoulders and creamy sensation give pleasure, and there’s a welcome twist of freshness at the finish. The wine always feels like it has more to give, a sure pointer to the benefits of some bottle age.
Drink 2026-2040
Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2020
Maturity Not ready
Grape List Cabernet Sauvignon (54%),Merlot (42%),Petit Verdot (2%),Cabernet Franc (2%)
Body Full Bodied
Producer Château Phélan-Ségur
Critics reviews
Antonio Galloni 91-93/100
The 2020 Phélan Ségur is sophisticated, classy and polished. There is perhaps a bit less size than has become the norm of late, but that is not a bad thing at all. Sweet floral, spice, cedar and tobacco lend brightness to this mid-weight, beautifully persistent Saint-Estèphe. I especially admire the wine's aromatic presence and persistence. Tasted two times.Drink 2028 - 2045antonio_galloni, Vinous.com.com (April 2021)
Drink 2028 - 2045
Neal Martin MW 93-95/100
The 2020 Phélan Ségur has a very intense and almost Pauillac-like nose of blackberry, pencil box and cedar aromas, complex and mineral-driven. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and plenty of black fruit laced with cedar and tobacco, quite sturdy and conveying more substance than recent vintages. This impressive Saint-Estèphe has great potential and might well represent the appellation's best value for money.Drink 2025 - 2045Neil Martin, Vinous.com.com (April 2021)
Drink 2028 - 2045
James Suckling 95-96/100
Bright and perfumed with some chocolate, berry, sandalwood and cedar. Very elegant and fine, medium to full-bodied palate with very integrated tannins and refined, polished texture. The tannins melt into the wine. Long finish with serious structure. Vivid and refined. Class here. Very Bordeaux. 54% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdotjames_suckling, jamessuckling_com (April 2021)
Drink 2028 - 2045
Jeb Dunnuck 94-96/100
Getting a legit 'wow' in the notes, the 2020 Château Phélan Ségur looks to be another incredible wine from the team of Véronique Dausse. A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon 42% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it's a deep, almost inky-hued barrel sample offering gorgeous notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, damp earth, crushed violets, and graphite. With full-bodied richness, a round, layered texture, serious concentration, and building structure, this is the real deal and up with the gems in Sainte-Estèphe. While some wines show a softer, more forward style, this is firm, mineral-laced, and structured, and is going to reward a good decade of cellaring. The alcohol checks in at 13.5% with a pH of 3.7 and a whopping 88 for an IPT.jeb_dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)
Drink 2028 - 2045
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW 90-92+/100
Displaying a medium to deep purple-black color, the 2020 Phélan Ségur offers up intense notions of crushed red and black currants, black raspberries and fresh mulberries, plus suggestions of charcuterie, pencil shavings and cinnamon toast. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled and refreshing, delivering a firm, grainy texture to support the crunchy red and black fruits, finishing with a peppery kick.Drink from 2024 to 2039Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (May 2021)
Drink 2028 - 2045
Jane Anson MW 94/100
The austerity to the tannins works in this wine's favour giving a juicy grip to the concentrated blackcurrant and bilberry fruits without strangling them. Excellent stuff, finishing up with liquorice and smoked coffee bean. This is an estate that has just powered to better and better wines over the past few years. Yields were 10% below the average of the past five years but still at 40hl/ha. Harvest September 16 through to October 1, finishing around 10 days earlier than the past two years. Consultants Michel Rolland and Julien Viaud. First vintage with Petit Verdot included in the main wine (2%), from vines planted in 2013. Tasted twice.Drink from 2026 to 2042jane_anson_mw, Decanter (April 2021)
Drink 2028 - 2045
About this wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.
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Saint-Estèphe
Saint-Estèphe is the northernmost of the most important communes of the Médoc, bordering Pauillac on its southernmost border, with only a gully and stream separating it from Ch. Lafite Rothschild. The wines can appear austere in youth, but the best typically display good depth of colour, pronounced acidity and tannins in youth, and are exceptionally long-lived. At their best, they are the equal of almost any Bordeaux.
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Château Phélan Ségur
Château Phélan-Ségur is a St Estèphe property that produces textbook meaty, solid and long-lived St Estèphe. Founded by Irishman Bernard O’Phelan, the estate was developed by his son, Frank, and renamed Phélan Ségur in the early 20th century. It was bought by Xavier Gardinier in 1985 and run by his sons, Thierry and Laurent until 2018, when Philippe Van de Vyvere bought the property. Phélan-Ségur's 70 hectares of vineyards are well-sited near the Grionde estuary, lying on well-drained gravel soils, bordered by those of Château Montrose and Château Calon-Ségur. The grand vin is normally a blend of at least 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Franc and/or Petit Verdot. The grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and the wine is then matured in oak barriques (maximum 50% new) for 16 months. Phélan Ségur usually requires at least five to seven years of bottle ageing to show at its best, and the finest vintages can continue improving for up to 15 years.
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