Saint-Estèphe · outside the 1855 classification
Château Phélan Ségur: vintages available, prices and pairings
The grand vin of Phélan Ségur, vintage by vintage, with the format, the guide price and what to expect of it today: to drink, or to keep. Tick what interests you, and the quote goes out with your selection.
Vintages on the price list
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The château
On the edge of the estuary, north of the village of Saint-Estèphe. The name comes from Frank Phelan, a merchant of Irish origin who put the estate together in the 19th century. Philippe Van de Vyvere, a Belgian businessman, has owned it since 2017.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, a little Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Not classified in 1855, it is often cited among the best unclassified wines of the appellation. Ready at around six years, it lasts about twenty. The appellation's other châteaux are on the Saint-Estèphe wines page.
The vineyard has 70 hectares of clay-gravel on the appellation's ridges and plateaux, in four blocks; its plots border those of Montrose and Calon Ségur. It is planted with 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and 1.5% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. In 2015, the château waited for its Cabernet Sauvignon, perhaps the best it has ever harvested. In 2016, after a very dry summer, the storm of 13 September brought the water needed. In 2019, the clay-gravel spared the vines severe water stress despite the heatwave. 2020 is the first grand vin with four grape varieties, with the Petit Verdot planted in 2013.
What to serve it with
- A vintage of eight years and more: lamb (what wine with lamb), game birds (what wine with game).
- A younger vintage: rib of beef (what wine with beef), duck breast (what wine with duck).
- With cheese: firm pressed cheeses (what wine with cheese).
Which vintage for which occasion
A classified-growth Saint-Estèphe without the price: for a wedding or a company dinner (which Bordeaux for a wedding). For a birthday, the birth year, if the table has it (birth-year vintage).
Is Phélan Ségur a classified growth?
No. It is not in the 1855 classification. That is what makes it more affordable than its classified neighbours, for a similar style.
Phélan Ségur or Calon-Ségur?
Two Saint-Estèphe châteaux that owe part of their name to the Marquis de Ségur, a great 18th-century landowner. Calon-Ségur is a third growth; Phélan Ségur is not classified.
When should you drink a Phélan Ségur?
Allow six years before opening it and twenty years of good form, a little more in a great year, a little less in a weak year or in half-bottles. The table applies this rule to each line; it is not a tasting note, and a badly stored bottle ages faster.
Are the prices shown the ones in the quote?
They are the guide prices from the price list, incl. VAT, per bottle of the format, delivery excluded. The quote confirms the price, the availability of each vintage and the shipping; the delivery rates give the lead times. For a vintage not in the table, the quote request is still open.