Château Phélan Segur has an excellent terroir in Saint-Estèphe and a magnificent castle to boot. The estate was founded in the early 19th century by the Phelan family of Irish wine merchants. It is surprising why it was not included in the classification of 1855, actually all the necessary components were present. At that time the winery was called Château Ségur de Garramey, the current name Phélan Segur was used from the beginning of the 20th century.
Chateau Phelan Segur has been producing excellent wines for decades, which have a rather charming style in the context of the otherwise rather robust wines from Saint-Estèphe. On the one hand, this is due to the sometimes very loamy soil, which offers the Merlot excellent growing conditions, and on the other hand, to Veronique Dausse, the quality-obsessed manager of the estate, who only uses perfectly ripened berries for the first wine. Phelan Segur has an optical sorter that rigorously sorts out any unsuitable berries.
The 2020 vintage is the last of a magnificent trio. The wines are characterized by a perfect balance at a very high level, which is also noticeable in the Phelan Segur. Due to the cooler terroir in the north of the Médoc, however, this wine avoids the excessively high alcohol levels of some other wines and is in the best balance. The result is euphoric reviews from the press. Jane Anson and Georgina Hindle of Decanter magazine independently agree and give this wine a 94/100. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate has 93/100, praising the fleshiness and complexity of this magnificent Médoc.
