Chateau Phelan Segur 2020

JAMES SUCKLING: "Complex and subtle aromas of blackcurrants, hazelnut, bark, mushrooms and chocolate follow through to a full body, with racy and long tannins that run the length of the wine. Classically structured. Polished yet musical. Very Phelan. 54% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Try after 2027."

WEINWISSER: "Delikates rotbeeriges Bouquet, Estragon und roter Johannisbeernektar. Am eleganten Gaumen mit cremiger Textur, reifer Extraktfülle, kakaoartigem Tannin, geradlinig mit durchtrainiertem Körper. Im gebündelten feinaromatischen Finale Schattenmorelle, getrockneter Rosmarin und feinkörnige Adstringenz. Legt mit Luft enorm zu. Erinnert an 2016 mit weniger Konzentration! Präzision und Finesse sind die Pluspunkte dieses Jahres. Wie ein Aquarellgemälde von Turner."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The Grand Vin 2020 Château Phelan Ségur from director Véronique Dausse checks in as 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 2% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, and this is the first time that blend has included all four varieties. Aged 18 months in 55% new French oak, its vivid purple color is followed by a gorgeous bouquet of pure cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as complex floral, spice, and crushed stone-like minerality. Medium to full-bodied and flawlessly balanced, with silky tannins, it's an incredibly classy, seamless, elegant 2020 that shows the ripe yet classic style of this incredible vintage. It will evolve gracefully for over two decades."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Chocolate, espresso, cedar, spice, currants and incense aromatics are all over the place here. On the palate, the concentrated, deep wine offers, lift, lush, sensuously-textured., multiple layers of sweet, ripe, dark red fruits with a touch of polish to the tannins. The wine lingers and expands on your palate, which only makes you want to taste it again for the pleasure of it. This is the finest vintage ever produced by Phelan Segur. Fans of the estate should be all over this gem! Drink from 2025-2045."

DECANTER: "Clean and compelling, quite richly textured with bright black fruits but also savoury touches. This is brooding and you can feel the power and the concentration of the vintage. Ripe tannins remain prominent with spiced edges giving tension and linearity throughout. Forward, intense but detailed, nuanced and seductive. Feels well worked, salty and tangy. Give it time but this will have fans. So sleek and well controlled with bite. Lovely."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2020 Phélan Ségur is rich and generous, unwinding in the glass with aromas of sweet berries, cherries and plums mingled with hints of violets and spices and framed by creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, it's a concentrated, structured wine underpinned by a chassis of generously extracted tannin that lends it a somewhat youthfully chunky profile."

WINE SPECTATOR: " A sleek, taut, winey style, with a mix of red and black currant coulis notes that stretch out over hints of charcoal, tobacco and wet stone. Shows a sanguine echo through the finish, with nice range and character overall. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2038. 15,000 cases made."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Mit einem Hauch von Edelholz unterlegte dunkle Beerenfrucht, zart nach schwarzen Kirschen und Lakritze. Saftig, rotbeerige Nuancen, frisch strukturiert, gut integrierte Tannine, salzig-zitronig im Nachhall, verfügt über Entwicklungspotenzial."