WTN: Château Phélan Ségur 1995 shows strong family resemblance to its rosé

CHATEAU PHELAN SEGUR AOC Saint-Estèphe 1995 – Cru Bougeois Exceptionnel (2003 suspended classification) – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet franc (estate).

Yesterday I posted a note in Wine Focus on Le Rosé de Phélan Ségur, so today what better choice was there to accompany some beef than the Grand Vin from the château?

There is a definite family resemblance in the linear shape of the wine in the mouth and tannic support at the rear of the palate together with a certain austerity but the aromas are for more complex and interesting in this red and its flavour and body are deeper and broader. Here are some more details –

C: Deep with very little sign of bricking. N: At first discreet plum but quickly developing breadth together with red current, pencil lead and damp leather notes. P: Medium weight with similar complex aromas to the nose, good fruit and firmly structured with good length. As often with Saint-Estèphe there is a certain savoury hardness instead of the more velvety textures and sweeter fragrance of many wines from communes to its south. However the wine is flavoursome, elegant, classy and uprightly honest, excellent with solid uncomplicated food and well worth its price (EUR 22,45 for the 2004 at a Belgian supermarket).

There is a red second wine called Franck Phélan.

Tim,

Thanks for your notes.

Was this fully ready to drink, or would it benefit from further ageing?

All the best,
Alex

Alex,

Phélan Ségur has been one of the more accessible 95s in my limited experience and I think that I only have one bottle left. Many others which I have tried at tastings have been quite closed with rather dry tannins and I have left most of my small collection as yet untouched.

However I don't think that a few more years will do the Phélan Ségur any harm at all and maybe some further good.

Hey guys, stopped by Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant the other week. The staffer thought the 1999 was already drinking pretty well. I'm cautious about opening this so soon, as I've read about the austerity of St. Estephe. Any experience with 1999 Phelan-Segur?

1999 is a forward vintage in Médoc and those which I have tried, e.g. Gruaud Larose, are already drinking very well but probably will not have a long life.
I guess that the Phélan Ségur should be fine in the Saint-Estèphe style, if you like that.

POSTSCRIPT: I read in the RVF that Michel Rolland is now vinifying Phélan Ségur and that its 2006 is already showing his fleshy fingerprints

Have to admit that I did enjoy a Rollandized Bordeaux-Ch. L'Arrivet Haut Brion, last year. (hangs head in shame )

The problem is that Rolland's methods risk changing a wine's identifying features. This does not prevent them from still being enjoyable and Rolland undoubtedly argues that they are more so; and in the worst cases before his intervention (but not, I suspect, with Phélan) he is probably right. How do we strike the balance?

Have to admit that I did enjoy a Rollandized Bordeaux-Ch. L'Arrivet Haut Brion, last year. (hangs head in shame )

Ego te absolvo. I've also tasted one (yes, only one) that I enjoyed: Beau-Séjour Bécot 2001. I think I even own one bottle of that! It actually tasted IMO more of St-Emilion than AOC Rolland. (Does he have an AOC yet?)

-O-

I like Beau Sejour Becot, too. In fact, I bought a bottle of that wine at the exact same wine shop that I found L'Arrivet haut Brion. At least the earlier vintage (1999, I believe), was good. Oh no.......... I am a convicted Rollandophile:lol:

Then, I also absolutely loved the 1999 Chateau L'Evangile I tried last month, another "big" wine from Pomerol. It tastes nothing like California, though.