Chateau Phelan Segur 2016

WEINWISSER: WEINWISSER:"55 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 45 % Merlot, 49 hl/ha, 13,8 vol %. Purpur mit violettem Rand. Konzentrierter, blaubeeriger Duft nach Cassis und Brombeermark, dahinter Lakritze, Kokos und Tabak, verzaubert von Anfang an. Am kräftigen Gaumen mit stützendem Tannin und grandioser Finesse, im Rückaroma mit Heidelbeeren und Kirschhaut, endet ganz lang mit feiner Adstringenz. «An amazing year!», meint ein begeisterter Thierry Gardinier. Für mich ist das der beste Phélan, den ich jemals degustiert habe! Die Legende aus 2009 hat einen würdigen Nachfolger! Das ist der Best Buy aus dem Médoc!"

JAMES SUCKLING: "A very serious St.-Estèphe with excellent concentration, firm tannins and a dark soul. I love the earth, walnut, bark and smoke aromas that pour out of this. Very long, dramatic, dry finish. Better from 2021."

DECANTER: "Gorgeous brambly blackcurrant and cassis fruit on the nose with touches of hawthorn brambles adding acidity and freshness. This is closed and yet you can clearly see the muscle and potential of what is going on in the glass. Just a stunning wine, proof once again of how 2016 is an outstanding vintage in Bordeaux. Tons of St Estèphe typicity, tons of confident tannic hold, this is excellent and delivers exactly what you want from this vintage. Great stuff from Phélan Ségur. A fitting last vintage under the Gardinier brothers. 3.64pH."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Showing beautifully on multiple occasions, the 2016 Château Phélan Ségur is incredibly impressive and reveals a saturated purple as well as pure cassis, violets, damp earth, lead pencil, and spice-driven aromas and flavors. Beautifully layered and textured, concentrated, with fine tannins and the purity and elegance that make the vintage so compelling front and center, it’s a high-class Saint Estèphe to enjoy over the coming 20-25 years or more."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "Deep garnet colored, the 2016 Phelan Segur requires a little swirling to unlock bold scents of crushed red and black currants, black raspberries, and cedar chest, plus wafts of cardamom and damp soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is taut, youthful and refreshing, featuring firm, grainy tannins and loads of savory layers, finishing with great length."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Zippy, intense, bags of fruit on the nose. Round and gorgeous. Masses of fruit covers the tannin and without too much acidity – unexpected for this appellation. Dry end though."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Coming along nicely, still youthful, the wine is packed with ripe, sweet fruits, soft, polished tannins, and roundness in the finish. The fruits are polished, fresh, and taste as good as they feel. The wine needs a few more years before it is fully ready to go. This is a steal in today's marketplace! Drink from 2024 - 2043."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, dezente Randaufhellung, mit einem Hauch von kandierten Orangenzesten unterlegte dunkle Beerenfrucht, zarte Gewürzanklänge, facettenreiches Bukett. Stoffig, extraktsüß, reife Herzkirschen und Pflaumen, gut integrierte, tragende Tannine, komplex und gut anhaltend, ein stoffiger Speisenbegleiter, sicheres Reifepotenzial für viele Jahre."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "There is a much better balance between fruit and the wood aging in this vintage from this estate than in the past. This wine offers richness and structure from fruit tannin. Dark fruits give the wine rich intensity. Drink from 2025."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This is a touch old-school, with bay and tobacco notes out front followed by alder, warm earth and steeped black currant flavors. The grippy finish lets the fruit and earth notes wrestle a bit, leaving a chewy feel. Will settle with cellaring, but this is not for fans of finesse. Best from 2022 through 2035. 15,000 cases made."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Phélan Ségur gives elegant red and black currants, kirsch and black berries with violets and chocolate box scents plus a waft of cigars. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, fine grained and fresh with great vibrancy and mineral notes on the finish."