Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Managing Director Véronique Dausse opened a 1995 Phélan Ségur on the first day of my visit during en primeur, and it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise since this is not regarded as a particularly auspicious decade for the estate. Showing modest bricking on the rim, the bouquet has a little more pep than I would have predicted given that it is now 30 years old, with lovely brambly redcurrant and raspberry fruit laced with pencil shavings and sous-bois plus a hint of lavender in the background. The palate is fully mature and very well balanced, not powerful or deep yet fresh with a pretty, Saint-Julien-inspired finish that lingers.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Deeply colored, concentrated, and distinctive, St. Estephe is the go-to for great, age-worthy and reliable Bordeaux reds. Separated from Pauillac merely by a stream, St. Estephe is the farthest northwest of the highest classed villages of the Haut Medoc and is therefore subject to the most intense maritime influence of the Atlantic.
St. Estephe soils are rich in gravel like all of the best sites of the Haut Medoc but here the formation of gravel over clay creates a cooler atmosphere for its vines compared to those in the villages farther downstream. This results in delayed ripening and wines with higher acidity compared to the other villages.
While they can seem a bit austere when young, St. Estephe reds prove to live very long in the cellar. Traitionally dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, many producers now add a significant proportion of Merlot to the blend, which will soften any sharp edges of the more tannic, Cabernet.
The St. Estephe village contains two second growths, Chateau Montrose and Cos d’Estournel.