2018 Château Phélan Ségur

95 POINTS

James Suckling

This is the most powerful Phélan Segur I have ever tasted. A solid core of dense fruit and layered tannins that are so refined and polished. Remains fresh, energetic and bright. Yet, there’s plenty of harmony and balance.

95 POINTS

Bettane & Desseauve - Bettane & Desseauve

Puissant et élégant dans un style plus proche des Saint-Juliens que des Saint-Estèphes, tannin fin, ensemble remarquable d’intensité harmonieuse, égalera ou dépassera les grands millésimes précédents.

94 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Wine Advocate

The 2018 Phélan Ségur is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot, harvested from September 14 to October 4. The wine comes in at 14% alcohol, 3.8 pH and has an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 77. Deep purple-black in color, it springs from the glass with bright, vibrant notes of raspberry preserves, kirsch and ripe blackcurrants with hints of rose petals, tilled black soil, spice cake and warm plums plus a waft of star anise. Medium to full-bodied with a solid backbone of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, the palate sports a taut, muscular fruit profile with loads of bright red fruit sparks and a long, earthy finish.

94 POINTS

Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

The tobacco, spice, cigar box, smoke and cedar aromas along with a basket filled with fresh berries lets you know this is a loveliness in a glass. The wine is round, soft, polished, ripe, clean and juicy, leaving you with a bolt of black currant, licorice and espresso in the finish.

94 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

An excellent vintage at Phelan Ségur, displaying a real sense of power and forward motion. Big tannins encircle the fruit, this is muscular, full of liquorice and just-bitter-enough dark chocolate, pencil lead and crushed slate. One to savour, and one that will age. One of the best in the appellation in this vintage. A yield of 48hl/ha. 3.8pH. Drinking Window 2025 – 2042

93 POINTS

Jeb Dunnuck

The 2018 Château Phélan Ségur is another winner from director Véronique Dausse that does everything right. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot, its deep purple color is followed by a deep, rich, medium to full-bodied Saint-Estèphe that has thrilling purity of fruit, terrific concentration, and ripe tannins. You can’t go wrong on this one. It will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15-20 years or more. It should match or exceed the brilliant 2016. 92-94+

92 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

A layer of new wood is very present in this wine, giving smoky and spicy characters to the overall experience. These tones will need time to integrate with the blackberry fruits that are lurking underneath.

92 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2018 Phélan Ségur is another in a strong series of wines from this re-born property. Deep and persistent on the palate, the 2018 has a lot to offer. Dark cherry, plum, graphite, menthol, spice and licorice all build in a super-expressive, delineated yet dense Saint-Estèphe loaded with personality. The 2018 finishes with serious intensity and structure. Technical Director Fabrice Bacquey opted for cooler macerations and short cuvaisons, especially for the Merlots, as the fruit was especially rich and the wines extracted easily, while the Cabernets were fermented more or less as usual. Yields were 49 hectoliters per hectare, a bit higher than the 20-year average of 44 and inline with other recent vintages such as 2015, 2016 and 2017. The blend is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot. Tasted three times.