Château Phélan-Ségur is beautifully situated in the village of Saint-Estèphe with a spectacular view over the Gironde estuary. Its origins date way back but the official history of Phélan Ségur began at the end of the 18th century when a young Irish wine broker, Bernard Phelan, settled in Bordeaux, and eventually bought two wine producing estates Clos de Garramey and Château Ségur (previously owned by Nicolas Alexandre de Ségur, nicknamed “Prince of Vines” because of his many properties in the Médoc) which he merged to become Château Phélan-Ségur. In 1810 Bernard Phelan built the magnificent, imposing Château that remains practically unchanged today. In 1985 the estate was acquired by Xavier Gardinier and is now run by his three sons. Château Phélan-Ségur is a fairly large estate with 175 acres of vineyards. The Phélan-Ségur wines are known for their immense complexity which is due to the great diversity of the terroir.
The visit consisted of 2 parts.
We started out with a tour and a tasting, led by Fabrice Bacquey, Maître de Chai (Winemaker).
Following the tour we enjoyed a private lunch at Château Phélan-Ségur., along with other guests. We were greeted with a Champagne followed by an excellent gourmet meal matched by the fabulous Phélan-Ségur wines. General Manager Véronique Dausse and Winemaker Fabrice Bacquey were our hosts.
Château Phélan-Ségur (Berry Bros. & Rudd)
Château Phélan-Ségur is a Cru Bourgeois St. Estèphe property that produces textbook meaty, solid and long-lived St. Estèphes. It was bought by Xavier Gardinier in 1985 and is now run by his sons, Thierry and Laurent.
Phélan-Ségur's 66 hectares of vineyards are well-sited near the Grionde estuary and lies on well drained gravel soils. The vineyards are bordered by those of Château Montrose and Château Calon-Ségur.
Phélan-Ségur's wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (30%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). The grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and the wine is then matured in oak barriques (30% new) for 15 months.
Phélan-Ségur usually requires at least 5-7 years of bottle ageing to show at its best and the best vintages can continue improving for up to 15 years.
In the Vineyard
Château Phélan-Ségur: Made up of four large sections, the parcels adjoin the vineyards of Châteaux Montrose and Calon Ségur, among others. The planting density is high. The mix of grape varieties is original: the talented duo of the Médoc (58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 39% Merlot) are complemented by a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot (1.5% of each). Cabernet Sauvignon, the king of Médoc grape varieties, brings incomparable power and structure: it is the backbone of the Grand Vin.
Merlot expresses an attractive roundness and unrivalled suppleness. To preserve diversity and bring a hint of spice, Petit Verdot made its entry to the property in 2015. It excels on heavier soils where clay dominates. It is a vigneron’s variety, impetuous and requiring perfect control. Cabernet Franc, which has always had its place at the Château, is a precious asset in the blend, with its finesse and floral notes.
Overlooking the Gironde: The Médoc, characterised by the mild temperate maritime climate, offers ideal conditions of a seasonal cycle that is sufficiently marked to accompany the annual growth of the vine and mild enough to attenuate climatic excesses. The vines at Château Phélan Ségur are close to the estuary: this situation protects them from hard winters and summers that are sometimes very hot.
The complexity of the terroir of Saint-Estèphe, of which Château Phélan Ségur is a perfect illustration. It is made up of a thick layer of gravel deposited by the river, a few hundred thousand years ago. The pebbles and above all the gravels coated with clay sands (clay gravels) shape the rolling landscape of a large part of Saint-Estèphe.
Vinification
Château Phélan-Ségur: Cellar master Fabrice Bacquey preserves this noble raw material that is the grape. He must respect the style of the property by expressing the best the vintage has to offer.
The grapes are harvested manually with the utmost care and optimum ripeness when nature allows. Transport to the manual and vibrating sorting tables is done in small crates. The final selection is made by optical sorting used since 2011.
Fermentation takes place over a dozen days, punctuated by regular pumping over, rack-and-return and punching down, specific to each batch, thus favouring the extraction of phenolic compounds in the wine. Then comes the critical phase of maceration over about twenty days, where the objective is to continue the extraction. The wine is tasted daily to decide the optimum date for running off. The 39 tanks allow for this precision vinification and are the basis for the future selections for blending. Steady development started in 2010 has allowed the addition of 8 tanks of 45 hl to the vat room, further improving the interpretation of the work within parcels that takes place in the vineyard.
After pressing and the separation of the free-run and press wines, they are “casked”; now stored in barrels, they can begin their malolactic fermentation in the warm atmosphere of the cellars. The wines take on more suppleness and roundness and rest through the winter.
The long task of blending begins at the end of winter and consists in rigorous tasting of each batch; it is at this stage that the selection is made with the invaluable assistance of Michel Rolland, consultant oenologist. Some batches are chosen to go into the blend for the Grand Vin of Château Phélan Ségur, while others are destined for the second wine Frank Phélan or for La Croix Bonis.
The final blend for the Grand Vin is then presented “to the world” in April during the en primeur tastings.
A philosophy of Wine: Beyond the purely technical knowledge required for vinification, it is a philosophy of wine, a palate forged by years of tasting and a perfect complicity with the evolution over time of the wines of the terroir of Phélan Ségur that makes the difference.
Aging
Château Phélan-Ségur: Ageing is a fundamental step at Château Phélan Ségur: understanding of the vintage, judicious selection of coopers, racking from barrel to barrel, regular topping up, requirements and experience of the team in the cellar. Very special and loving care is given to the wines during this complex phase in their development.
Once calm is restored after the harvest, the ageing of the Grand Vin, now blended, continues for around 12 more months; at Château Phélan Ségur, the ageing is a fundamental step. The proportion of new barrels never exceeds 50%. Five coopers loyal to the property have contributed their know-how over many years. While complying with very precise technical specifications, the diversity of their respective products (origin of the wood, drying time, toasting, know-how) express themselves differently each vintage. Oxygen, oak tannins, and the aromas they bring are essential to the stabilisation of the wine and its development. Meticulous topping up of the barrels protects the wine from oxidation.
Tasting
We tasted 3 wines with winemaker Fabrice Bacquey.
The Wines
2012 Château Phélan-Ségur, Cru Bourgeois, St. Estèphe, Grand Vin (US$ 42)
2014 Château Phélan-Ségur, Cru Bourgeois, St. Estèphe, Grand Vin (US$ 42)
2015 Château Phélan-Ségur, Cru Bourgeois, St. Estèphe, Grand Vin (US$ 48)
Lunch at Château Phélan-Ségur
Following the tour we enjoyed a private lunch at Château Phélan-Ségur, along with other guests. We were greeted with a Champagne followed by an excellent gourmet meal matched by the fabulous Phélan-Ségur wines. General Manager Véronique Dausse and Winemaker Fabrice Bacquey were our hosts.
Aperitif
We took the apperitif - Billecart Salmon Brut Réserve - in the courtyard of Château Phélan-Ségur. General Manager Véronique Dausse and Winemaker Fabrice Bacquey were our hosts.
Lunch
We then sat down for lunch, prepared by xxxx and more Château Phélan-Ségur wines.
Lunch Wines
2014 Château Phélan-Ségur, Cru Bourgeois, St. Estèphe, Frank Phélan (US$ 42)
2011 Château Phélan-Ségur, Cru Bourgeois, St. Estèphe, Grand Vin (US$ 42)
Bye-bye
Many thanks Véronique and Fabrice for a great tour, tasting and lunch at Château Phélan-Ségur.
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