| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Estèphe |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
A pleasant, medium ruby-colored 2013 St. Estephe, this cuvee offers up notes of black cherries, spice box and minerals. Moderately endowed, cleanly made, and adequate for near-term drinking, it can be enjoyed over the next 4-5 years.
Tasted at the château, the 2013 Phélan-Ségur has one of the superior aromatics from Saint Estèphe—more fruit concentration here, blackberry and raspberry mixed with iodine. As I often find, this appears to have blossomed in bottle both on the nose and in the mouth. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy ripe tannin. This is not complex, but unlike many other 2013s there is weight and presence here, with a muscular finish that might lack finesse, but does offer decent fruit intensity. Drink this flavor-packed, easy-going Saint Estèphe over the next 5 to 8 years. Tasted July 2016.
I had three querulous encounters with samples from Phelan-Segur. They all exhibited pinched aromatics that never really got off the ground. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, quite dry tannins and a hard finish that feels rather charmless. Perhaps I was unlucky with my samples - I will seek to re-taste this after bottling because it does often improve. Fingers crossed! Tasted April 2014.
