CHÂTEAU PHÉLAN SÉGUR

2019 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel Saint Estèphe

EN PRIMEUR

The 2019 Phélan-Ségur has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry and bilberry fruit, a subtle marine influence that develops with aeration. Very cohesive. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very precise with wonderful mineralité and tension. This oozes class, a Swiss watch of a Saint-Estèphe with outstanding length and complexity. Top drawer and a benchmark for the estate. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drinking range: 2027 - 2055 Rating: 96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

The 2019 Phélan Ségur is a rich, heady wine. A burst of super-ripe dark fruit, grilled herbs, menthol, licorice, smoke, incense and spice races across the palate. As good as the 2019 is, I liked it more en primeur. I find the bottled wine not quite as expressive, especially on the mid palate. Tasted two times. Drinking range: 2025 - 2039 Rating: 93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)

The 2019 Phélan Ségur has a very impressive nose of ample blackberry and boysenberry fruit, plus touches of graphite, sous-bois and light minty aromas. The palate is medium-bodied, harmonious and poised, with substantial tannins and very good weight. There is a sense of completeness to this Saint-Estèphe that urges you back for another sip. The best Phélan-Ségur in a long time. Drinking range: 2025 - 2050 Rating: 95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)

A ton of complexity is immediately apparent from the first time you wave your nose over the glass, from layers of black fruits to freshly grated nutmeg. On the palate, we are almost in Christmas cake territory, with plump juicy fruits, spiced liquorice, black pepper and plenty of concentration. This is a brilliant wine, confident tannins, well delivered, will be ready to drink in four or five years, but will age for decades. Michel Rolland consultant. 56% new oak, 3.8ph, lives up to En Primeur expectations. Drinking range: 2024 - 2040 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jan 2022)

Solid, featuring a good punch of dark blackberry and black currant preserve flavors, with bay leaf, charcoal and warm paving stone notes that keep it very grounded through the finish. Shows ample structure for the cellar, too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2038.—J.M. Rating: 94 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Jan 2022)

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Phélan Ségur prances out of the glass with bold notions of blackcurrant pastilles, baked plums and boysenberries, plus hints of chargrilled meats, lavender, tilled soil and cracked black pepper. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is like a tightly coiled spring, featuring loads of condensed black fruit and fragrant layers, framed by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with bags of energy. Rating: 92-94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Jun 2020)

The 2019 Phélan Ségur has a very composed bouquet with detailed blackberry and briary scents, a touch of melted tar and cracked black pepper coming through with aeration. The palate is very cohesive with fine tannins, gentle grip, quite saline in the mouth with impressive density and harmony towards the finish. Quintessentially Saint-Estèphe, this is a superb Phélan Ségur that should not be under-estimated. Tasted twice. Drinking range: 2025 - 2050 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)

Fragrant nose with a floral, dark-fruit edge. Ripe and smooth but lifted, the tannins compact and very refined. Layers of fruit then a long, firm, persistent finish. In short, an elegant interpretation of St-Estèphe. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 17 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Jun 2020)

The complexity and depth is fantastic in this beautifully crafted, refined red. Such poise, finesse and length. Yet dense and very compacted. Love the texture precision. Goes on and on. Best ever? Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2020)

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.

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
  • Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
  • Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

Practical notes - how it works

We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.