Chateau Phelan Segur 2019

Professional Ratings

• 96 James Suckling

  This is a very classically structured Bordeaux with blackcurrant, walnut, cedar and hints of toasted oak. It’s reserved now, but shows very serious, polished tannins. Persistent and powerful with fantastic length. Very precise.

• 96 Vinous

  The 2019 Phelan-Segur has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry and bilberry fruit, a subtle marine influence that develops with aeration. Very cohesive. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very precise with wonderful mineralite and tension. This oozes class, a Swiss watch of a Saint-Estephe with outstanding length and complexity. Top drawer and a benchmark for the estate. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

• 95 Jeb Dunnuck

  The 2019 Château Phelan Segur from Véronique Dausse is another brilliant Saint-Estèphe in the vintage, and this estate plays in the top handful of Saint-Estèphes out there. Offering lots of darker currants, spiced plums, Iron, tobacco, and damp earth on the nose, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a concentrated, tannic, yet balanced mouthfeel, and a great finish. It needs to be forgotten for a good 5-7 years and will be a brilliant wine over the following two decades. Best After 2027

• 95 Wine Enthusiast
  Now cured of its tendency to use too much wood, this estate is producing some finely structured wines. This vintage continues in that tradition, a wine that is packed with serious, concentrated fruits that are highlighted by bright acidity. There is great potential for aging here.
  Barrel Sample: 93-95
• 94 Decanter
  Another impressive vintage at this estate, one that is regularly turning out wines to sit up and take notice of. A touch more austerity than was seen at this stage in the 2018, but the same level of intensity and concentration and just sheer confidence without trying too hard. Undertow of crushed granite and liquorice root, with real precision in the cassis fruits, and a wall of tannins that manage to be both present and unobtrusive. Great winemaking going on here.
  Barrel Sample:94
• 94 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  Is this the most over-performing estate in the Médoc? Director Véronique Dausse would surely riposte that it's simply performing at the level to which its well-situated vineyards and detail-oriented team entitle it; but in any case, the 2019 Phélan Ségur is a brilliant wine. Offering up aromas of cassis, sweet wild berries, rose petals, violets, licorice and spices, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with tangy acids, powdery tannins and a long, penetrating finish. This is another 2019 that en primeur purchasers can feel very pleased with. Best After 2027 Rating : 94+

• 94 Wine Spectator

  Solid, featuring a good punch of dark blackberry and black currant preserve flavors, with bay leaf, charcoal and warm paving stone notes that keep it very grounded through the finish. Shows ample structure for the cellar, too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024.