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Phélan Ségur 2022

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Estèphe
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

The vines of this 70 hectare St Estèphe property are situated between Montrose and Calon Ségur. The vineyard is planted with 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 1.5% Cabernet Franc and 1.5 % Petit Verdot.

In 2022 it is 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It's the first time since 2005 that Merlot is more than half of the blend as part of the Cabernet Sauvignon was hailed in June. This impacted on the yield which is 28 hl/ha compared to the average of 45. 14.2% alcohol.

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Phélan Ségur

Label

Tasting Notes

The 2022 Phélan Ségur was picked between 14 and 26 September, 9 out of 13 days with one plot immediately after another, using selected indigenous yeasts for around half the production. It was cropped at 28hL/ha with 14.2% alcohol at the moment, the pH is 3.8. This year contains higher Merlot (56%) due to its higher yield than Cabernet (frost and berry size). On June 20 at 8.15pm, three blocks were hit by hail that was horizontal accompanied by 25mm of rain within 10 minutes. This cost them 30% production overall. "We did less extraction at the end of the alcoholic fermentation and stopped the pumping over two days earlier at 1.010 [which without getting too technical is the Gravity of one liter of must relative to one liter of distilled water] and did more like an infusion." Aged in 55% new oak, it has an enticingly pure bouquet with blackberry and bilberry fruit, blackcurrant, iris flower and light iodine scents. Very intense and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, a liberal sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper laced over the black fruit. A quintessentially Saint-Estèphe with a structured and very persistent finish. Allowing the wine to open in the glass, it reveals impressive depth (more so than the 2019 and 2020) and precision. This will require several years in bottle, but it will certainly be worth the wait. 2030-2065

95/97
Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2023

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.

91/93
William Kelley, Wine Advocate, April 2023

Deep in colour and rich in fruit, this year's Phelan Segur is concentrated, ripe and smoky. The palate is dense with cassis, liquorice and espresso. Forest fruits shine through rounded and polished tannins. There is a hint of iodine and iron on the finish, which retains its succulent black fruit.

92/94
Thomas Parker MW, Farr Vintners, April 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.

96/97
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2023

The 2022 Phelan Segur is made from 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, with a yield of 28 hl/ha. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out with rambunctious notes of kirsch, black cherries, boysenberry preserves, and garrigue, followed by suggestions of lilacs, Sichuan pepper, and cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with juicy black fruit and red berry sparks, supported by firm, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, leading to a long and spicy finish on this very pretty wine. pH 3.8, TPI 96.

93/95
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, May 2023

Elegant and well balanced, a ton of St Estèphe signature, this is really impressive, well controlled, wuth purity and depth to the cassis fruits, sweetened by cherry pie, flaky pastry, cinnammon, a welcome bitter finish of aniseed and cocoa beans that gives balance to the overall richness of the palate. There are big tannins but also clean wet stone minerality, and things stretch out through the palate, giving grip and no let up in intensity. 55% new oak, 3.8ph, 28hl/h yield. Blend finished in March, 28l/h yield. Selected native yeasts.

95
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, May 2023
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.