From the atlas
Château Phélan Ségur
A Bordeaux château producing red Haut-Médoc wine with stainless steel fermentation and French oak élevage.
At A Glance
| Appellation | Haut-Médoc |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Wine | Château Phélan Ségur, red wine |
| Cellar | Stainless steel fermentation and French oak élevage |
The Producer
Château Phélan Ségur is a Bordeaux château whose named wine is a red Haut-Médoc. The cellar combines stainless steel fermentation with malolactic fermentation in new French oak, followed by barrel ageing. The wines show mineral freshness alongside black fruit, with some vintages bringing velvety tannin and others suited to long cellaring.
Across the documented wines, blackcurrant, cassis, black cherry, wet stone and graphite recur alongside fresh acidity and firm tannin. The vintage notes also include softer textures, silky fruit and long finishes.
Place
Haut-Médoc is the appellation used for the red wine within Bordeaux. An appellation is a regulated geographic name that places a wine within a defined regional category. Here, the label carries Haut-Médoc, while the wine's character is described through fruit, minerality, acidity and tannin.
Story
Technical director Veronique Dausse arrived at the property in 2010. After her arrival, Château Phélan Ségur showed more stable quality and improvement. The wines associated with the later period include velvety texture and silky tannin in 2018, along with a juicy, vibrant profile and strong complexity in 2021.
Vineyards And Cellar
The fermentation cellar contains 48 stainless steel vats ranging from 40 to 220 hectoliters. Malolactic fermentation takes place in 50% new French oak barrels most of the time. This secondary fermentation converts sharper malic acid into softer lactic acid, which can give red wine a rounder mouthfeel.
The wines age in approximately 50% new French oak for 16 to 18 months. Oak ageing adds oxygen, spice and texture while allowing tannins to soften during the élevage.
Wines
Château Phélan Ségur is a red Haut-Médoc bottling released by vintage. The year remains part of the wine's character, with different releases showing changes in fruit, acidity, mineral character and texture.
The vintage notes cover fresh, mineral expressions, denser wines with notable length, softer wines with silky tannin, and bottles suited to long cellaring. The estate wine therefore keeps the same appellation and producer name while showing variation from one vintage to another.
In The Glass
The wines bring black fruit, cassis and mineral notes, with acidity and tannin shaping the palate. The 2015 vintage combines black cherry, fruitcake spice, wet rocks and good freshness. The 2014 shows black cherries, blackcurrant, acidity and extract, with a taut palate.
The 2009 vintage has a seductive nose of blackcurrant and cassis, followed by a satin palate. The 2011 brings splendid acidity, fine form and a long finish. The 2018 is velvety, with silky fruit and tannin, while the 2020 is suited to long cellaring.
A Bottle To Understand It
The bottle to open first is Château Phélan Ségur 2023. It is a red Haut-Médoc wine carrying the estate name and appellation together. The vintage has a dark ruby colour, an opaque core and purple reflections, followed by red fruits, spearmint and mint. Its finish is powdery soft, with wet stone and graphite.
Final Word
Haut-Médoc stays clear on the label while the vintages move through mineral fruit, fresh acidity, softer tannin and long cellaring potential.
Sources
- https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/st-estephe/chateau-phelan-segur-st-estephe-bordeaux-wine/
- https://winewordsandvideotape.com/bordeaux/st-estephe-overview-and-tasting-notes/st-estephe-tasting-notes/chateau-phelan-segur/
- https://www.greatbordeauxwines.com/chateau-profiles/saint-estephe/phelan-segur
- https://www.millesima.com/chateau-phelan-segur-2023.html