CHÂTEAU PHÉLAN SÉGUR

2020 Saint Estèphe

EN PRIMEUR

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. Rating: 96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 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 2020 Phélan Ségur is powerful yet elegant, with so much to offer. There's terrific depth to the 2020, right from the start. Succulent dark cherry, leather, espresso, dried herbs, incense and spice infuse the 2020 with remarkable depth. Even with all of its obvious power, the 2020 has an element of sweetness in the tannin that is so alluring. It will be interesting to see if the 2020 opens a bit more with time in bottle. I suspect it will. Drinking range: 2028 - 2050 Rating: 93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Phélan Ségur, which was picked 16 September to 1 October, and is the first vintage with four varieties in the blend i.e. Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot as well as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It fulfils the promise that it showed from barrel. Not quite as intense on the nose, yet it has retained that Pauillac-inspired allure thanks to those subtle pencil box and cedar scents infusing the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a cohesive, well-knit entry. Lovely texture, very pure, this is one of the most seductive Phélan that I can recall at this stage and I adored the classicism and graphite note that lingers on the aftertaste. Superb. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

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. Drinking range: 2024 - 2038 Rating: 93 The Wine Spectator, www.winespectator.com (Dec 2022)

The 2020 Phélan Ségur is sophisticated, classy and polished. There is perhaps a bit less size than has become the norm of late, but that is not a bad thing at all. Sweet floral, spice, cedar and tobacco lend brightness to this mid-weight, beautifully persistent Saint-Estèphe. I especially admire the wine's aromatic presence and persistence. Tasted two times. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 91-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Phélan Ségur has a very intense and almost Pauillac-like nose of blackberry, pencil box and cedar aromas, complex and mineral-driven. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and plenty of black fruit laced with cedar and tobacco, quite sturdy and conveying more substance than recent vintages. This impressive Saint-Estèphe has great potential and might well represent the appellation's best value for money. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

Getting a legit "wow" in the notes, the 2020 Château Phélan Ségur looks to be another incredible wine from the team of Véronique Dausse. A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon 42% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it's a deep, almost inky-hued barrel sample offering gorgeous notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, damp earth, crushed violets, and graphite. With full-bodied richness, a round, layered texture, serious concentration, and building structure, this is the real deal and up with the gems in Sainte-Estèphe. While some wines show a softer, more forward style, this is firm, mineral-laced, and structured, and is going to reward a good decade of cellaring. The alcohol checks in at 13.5% with a pH of 3.7 and a whopping 88 for an IPT. Rating: 94-96 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

The austerity to the tannins works in this wine's favour giving a juicy grip to the concentrated blackcurrant and bilberry fruits without strangling them. Excellent stuff, finishing up with liquorice and smoked coffee bean. This is an estate that has just powered to better and better wines over the past few years. Yields were 10% below the average of the past five years but still at 40hl/ha. Harvest September 16 through to October 1, finishing around 10 days earlier than the past two years. Consultants Michel Rolland and Julien Viaud. First vintage with Petit Verdot included in the main wine (2%), from vines planted in 2013. Tasted twice. Drinking range: 2026 - 2042 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

Bright and perfumed with some chocolate, berry, sandalwood and cedar. Very elegant and fine, medium to full-bodied palate with very integrated tannins and refined, polished texture. The tannins melt into the wine. Long finish with serious structure. Vivid and refined. Class here. Very Bordeaux. 54% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)

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 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. 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 2025. 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.