95pts James Suckling

A very serious St.-Estèphe with excellent concentration, firm tannins and a dark soul. I love the earth, walnut, bark and smoke aromas that pour out of this. Very long, dramatic, dry finish. Better from 2021.

94pts Decanter

Wow, this is silky-smooth and incredibly accomplished, straying very close to being sensational. Is this their best ever wine? Cassis, damson and dark chocolate flavours are joined by brushed tannins and great lift. It's so soft that it feels almost ready to be decanted and drunk, but the tannins are perceptive and I imagine this will close down for a few years soon. Try drinking in eight to ten years when it's fully ready.

94pts Jeb Dunnuck

Showing beautifully on multiple occasions, the 2016 Château Phélan Ségur is incredibly impressive and reveals a saturated purple as well as pure cassis, violets, damp earth, lead pencil, and spice-driven aromas and flavors. Beautifully layered and textured, concentrated, with fine tannins and the purity and elegance that make the vintage so compelling front and center, it’s a high-class Saint Estèphe to enjoy over the coming 20-25 years or more.

93pts Wine Spectator

This is a touch old-school, with bay and tobacco notes out front followed by alder, warm earth and steeped black currant flavors. The grippy finish lets the fruit and earth notes wrestle a bit, leaving a chewy feel. Will settle with cellaring, but this is not for fans of finesse. Best from 2022 through 2035.

93pts Wine Enthusiast

There is a much better balance between fruit and the wood aging in this vintage from this estate than in the past. This wine offers richness and structure from fruit tannin. Dark fruits give the wine rich intensity. Drink from 2025.

92pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Phélan Ségur gives elegant red and black currants, kirsch and black berries with violets and chocolate box scents plus a waft of cigars. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, fine grained and fresh with great vibrancy and mineral notes on the finish.

90pts Connoisseurs' Guide

Château Phelan Ségur has come up with a medium-bodied wine in 2016 that shows a little more fruity charm than its provenance classically predicts, and, here again, the role of Merlot is hard to miss. It teases with elements of cedar and cigar on the nose and is almost pliant on the palate when compared to traditional St. Estèphes, and it boasts plenty of fresh and fairly vibrant young fruit from beginning to end.

Tasting Notes

Color, deep red with purple reflections. Nose of great complexity, combining aromas of blackberry, cherry and fleshy strawberry. On aeration, the nose reveals toasted and liquorice notes. The palate shows a smooth attack with a remarkable consistency and freshness, leading to a powerful finish of exceptional length. The wine is built on a dense tannic structure and shows a perfect harmony throughout the tasting.

Winery Notes

In 1805, Daniel Phelan, an Irish wine broker, acquired le Clos de Garamey, located in Saint-Estephe. This acquisition was followed in 1810 by the acquisition of the Segur de Cabanac estate. He thus created a magnificent wine-producing domain that remains practically unchanged today.

When he died in 1841, Bernard Phelan left this vast estate, known from then on under the combined name of Chateau Segur de Garamey, to his son Frank. Frank devoted his life to promoting the renown and improving the quality of the wines produced on his property. In addition, he became the mayor of Saint-Estephe, holding the post for thirty years.