CHÂTEAU PHÉLAN SÉGUR

Deepest purple. Pure if slightly charry blackcurrant fruit. Dark-chocolate notes add another layer but not sweetness. Chewy, thick, dry but not tough tannins. Tongue-tied and not ready to be tasted, let alone drunk, for some time. Quite oaky. Chewy on the finish but there's plenty of compact fruit too – just all so dense that it is tied up on itself. More aromatic in the empty glass – the sweet black fruit and a hint of violets. Needs time to open in the glass just as it needs time in bottle. My score is based on the hope that it will eventually unfurl. Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 17 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)

This is the most powerful Phélan Segur I have ever tasted. A solid core of dense fruit and layered tannins that are so refined and polished. Remains fresh, energetic and bright. Yet, there’s plenty of harmony and balance. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)

This is good quality in 2018, as it has consistently been over the past few vintages. It has a silky texture and is powerful but restrained, displaying the freshness and power of the clay that underpins the soils here and demonstrating just how good the Merlots were when they were picked at full ripeness but not more - here they were also given one week less than usual for the extraction. There's plenty of concentration here but it's hidden, latent, reserving its energy for the long haul. Harvest took place between 24 September and 11 October, with a good yield of 49hl/ha. 60% of the production went into the grand vin. 3.8pH. 77IPT. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2019)

In this vintage the team at Phélan-Ségur have opted for a blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, at 57% of the total, the remaining 43% entirely Merlot, and the alcohol is declared to be just 14%, positively restrained in this appellation. It has a hugely impressive nose, classic, open, expressive, all grilled fruits with notes of tobacco, toast, liquorice and black olive. The palate shows the same delightful confidence, with a broad substance and a sinewy grip, with a pile of peppery energy and a fresh, polished body of fruit. This is hugely impressive, rich and brimming with structure, but the fruit has the mettle to stand up to it. This is a very serious effort from Phélan-Ségur. Bravo. Rating: 93-95 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)

A layer of new wood is very present in this wine, giving smoky and spicy characters to the overall experience. These tones will need time to integrate with the blackberry fruits that are lurking underneath. Rating: 92 Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com (Apr 2019)