Chateau Phelan Segur 2018

This is really well-built, with a core of dark currant and blackberry paste flavors supported by racy charcoal and bay notes, while flashes of savory and singed sandalwood dot the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2035.

Brilliant, succulent and luscious fruit. Blackberry, damson, chocolate and sage with a brilliant hold and muscular tannins. A yield of 48 hl/ha.

Aromas of blackcurrants, spice and flowers follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a delicious, savory finish. So lovely to drink now, but will improve nicely with age. Very refined and balanced. Try after 2022.

The 2018 Phélan Ségur appears to have lost the green edge that I observed from barrel, now coming across fresh with blackberry, seaweed and light sea spray scents. It gently unfurls with aeration, though never slips into fifth gear. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, just a touch of dark chocolate infusing the black fruit and a cohesive, slightly peppery finish. This is a deftly crafted Phélan Ségur that will benefit from 3–4 years in bottle.

Let's start off by saying this is the best vintage of Phelan Segur ever produced. The wine is ripe, lush, supple and juicy. There is volume, length and character galore to all the layers of sweet, rich, ripe, black and red fruits. There is lift, complexity and staying power in the finish.

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate bright rim. Delicate tobacco underlying black cherry fruit, blackberry jam, candied orange zest, fine chocolate touch. Juicy, taut, black berries, fine sweetness, well structured, mineral and long, safe ageing potential.

Inky dark purple colour. High ripeness with inky dark fruit like cassis, plum, cherry, fine leather, fine oak, toast and mocha. Dense and concentrated palate with a vibrant freshness underneath the bold dark fruit, savoury cassis and cherry notes with dry spices and tobacco, powdery tannins and a long lingering finish.

The flagship 2018 Château Phélan Ségur is a beauty based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot. This was a great vintage for the Médoc, and the 2018 reveals a dense purple hue along with powerful notes of blackcurrants, iron, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and earth. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it has beautiful tannins, remarkable purity of fruit, and simply does everything right. It has some up-front appeal today (no doubt due to the high Merlot content), yet it builds with time in the glass and shows more and more structure with air. It deserves 5–6 years of bottle age and will keep for 20–25. It’s every bit as good as the 2016, if not better.

Kunz barrel sample 19: (57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot) Deep, elegant, subtly bitter bouquet, blue and black berries, blueberries, cassis, noble woods, Black Currant. Elegant, dense, multi-layered palate with plenty of fine tannins, dense, refined fruit, a finely muscular structure, diverse aromatics, a very long, dense, refined finish.

Silky, dense, full bouquet with plum, cassis, blackberry, licorice, roasted notes. Powerful, fruity palate with a velvety, finely muscular structure, creamy fruit, plenty of fine tannins, deep, dark aromatics, long, compact finish with lots of lingering flavors. Can improve further. 18/20 2024 - 2045

The 2018 Phelan Segur is deep garnet-purple in color. It leaps with scents of fresh blackcurrants, warm plums, and clove oil, plus suggestions of pencil lead, cedar, and wild sage, with a waft of crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has sturdy, grainy tannins and a lively line supporting muscular black fruits, finishing with an herbal lift.

An inviting, gently sweet nose with lively notes of blackcurrant and strawberry, leading to a palate that surprises with a remarkably silky touch for an unclassified cru, perfectly balanced acidity, and a long, elegant finish.

Tasted for the third time in a few weeks, this wine is shaping up to be one of Phélan Ségur’s greatest successes of the past 30 years (along with 2005, 2014 and 2016)! It showcases its terroir, finesse and power beautifully. Dense, fleshy and distinguished on the palate, ideally supported by its acidity and precise, powerful tannins. Lovely lingering fruit on the finish.

The nose is fruity, elegant, rich and powerful, offering indulgence, concentration, a touch of racy power, lovely definition, harmony, a finely tight grain and a hint of intensity. It reveals notes of wild blackberry, wild raspberry and, more subtly, ripe wild red berries, with hints of strawberry and violet; touches of ripe wild berries; notes of racy minerality, camphor, violet and cherry blossom, as well as discreet hints of licorice, sweet spices, pepper, cardamom, a very fine touch of cornflower and tonka bean. The palate is fruity and balanced, delivering freshness, beautiful ripe/juicy fruit, energy, juiciness, lovely definition, a fine tangy line, minerality and indulgence. On the palate, the wine shows notes of ripe/juicy cherry, juicy blackcurrant and, more subtly, violet, alongside touches of ripe blackberry, cherry blossom and licorice, with a hint of camphor, black tea, sweet spices, hazelnut and a discreet touch of vanilla. The tannins are precise and well managed. Score: 17/20

Dark, intense, and beautiful color. Medium-intensity nose with ripe, creamy fruit. Delicate on the attack, fruity as it develops, aromatic and tender, the wine becomes juicy, flavorful, then long, with good taste and fine tannins. An ascending profile on the palate. Its score could rise by the end of aging.

Combining power and finesse in a deep garnet hue, displaying a still discreet, rather sanguine palette, it is defined by a beautiful silky attack and a delicate, airy texture, with plentiful, fine-grained tannins. The acid spine lingers, making it sapid. This is an elegant take on Phélan.

Now on a roll, this estate is producing some fine wines. This latest release shows plenty of wood at this stage, but the bold black fruits are more than a match, giving the wine sumptuous richness. The wine needs time, so wait until 2026.