2017 Château Phélan Ségur

Tasted blind.  Deep ruby colour. Sweet clove and cassis, together with something more exotic and riper in fruit. Soft, slightly bruised blackcurrant and bramble fruits on the palate. This sits against mouth-coating sandy tannins, which are somewhat arresting for now. Strong and chiselled, with a long finish. (TP)

The 2017 Phélan Ségur has turned out beautifully. A wine of real substance and personality, Phélan Ségur is endowed with quite a bit of depth. Black plum, chocolate, spice, leather and mocha are some of the many notes that infuse this wonderfully expressive Saint-Estèphe. Readers should expect a bold, savory wine driven by strong Cabernet Sauvignon accents and structure. Accordingly, the 2017 needs time to be at its very best. In 2017, the Grand Vin contains an unusually high amount of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), much of which was able to hang until early October, with 34% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Winemaker Fabrice Bacquey opted to reduce exposure to oxygen during fermentation with the goal of maintaining as much freshness in the fruit as possible. I continue to be deeply impressed with the work Bacquey, Estate Manager Véronique Dausse and consulting winemaker Michel Rolland have done at Phélan over the last few years. (AG)

The 2017 Phélan Ségur is medium to deep garnet-purple colored with pronounced cassis, black raspberries, kirsch and violets with notions of cedar, earth and cigars. The palate is medium-bodied and elegant with great intensity, fine-grained and firm, finishing long and perfumed.