Wine Advisor
Phelan Segur 2003
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Chateau Phelan-Segur. This has a generous but rather simple, earthy bouquet with touches of leather, scorched earth, mulberry and mocha. Good definition and fresher than the Giscours ’03 tasted just the same week. The palate is medium-bodied with a very plush, rounded entry, low acidity but satisfactory freshness, leading to a liquorice and cherry-liqueur tinged finish. Drink now-2020. Tasted March 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This tasted marvellous out of barrel and then was an abject disappointment after bottling. Now it has settled, we have a decent, rather conservative ’03, quite leathery on the nose with a cooked meat scent coming through (possibly from the Cabernet Franc, even though there is only 6%). The palate is medium-bodied with a soft entry, notes of red-berried fruits, roasted chestnut, tar and smoke, chunky tannins, still quite savoury towards the finish that has a hint of espresso on the aftertaste. Not bad at all, but should be better. Drink now-2010. Tasted November 2008.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A legitimate sleeper that is still young and rich, this 2003 possesses lots of cassis, earth and mineral characteristics in its smoky, spicy, vibrant, young personality. It has reached its plateau of full maturity where it should remain for another decade. This would have been a great buy in 2003.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Bravo! One of the best wines I have tasted from this grand estate. The nose is quite closed at the moment but there notes of liquorice laced with blackcurrants and cassis emerge after time. The palate is concentrated, harmonious with good grip. Quite modern in style, but well-balanced and a step above previous vintages. Long-term potential. Tasted again after bottling at the UGC in October 2005. Oh, what a disappointment with nose turning a little diffuse and leathery. A very soft entry, quite harmonious but that grip has all but disappeared. Improves towards the slightly savory finish, but I thought this would have been better.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The strongest effort from this estate since 1990, Phelan-Segur’s 2003 exhibits a deep ruby/purple color in addition to a sweet, jammy bouquet of black fruits intermixed with licorice, earth, and spice. Medium-bodied, with low acidity and fine tannin, this is a sleeper of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2014.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The excellent 2003 has a deep ruby/plum color and a sweet nose of creme de cassis, licorice, dried herbs, and earth. It is fresh, rich, savory, with velvety-textured tannins and a supple mouthfeel. It should drink well for up to a decade. This is a sleeper of the vintage.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Farr Vintner’s Left Bank tasting. A very earthy nose that verges on corky, though I do not think it is. The palate is medium-bodied with sharp tannins, good fruit intensity although it still needs a couple of years to meld together, Bright red-berried fruit dominating the finish, although it is raw and rustic. Tasted October 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A relatively fleshy, solidly constructed, deeply fruited St.-Estephe with a dense ruby/purple color, good black currant fruit tinged with some hints of blackberry as well as floral and mineral notes, good ripeness, low acidity, and a nice, corpulent mouthfeel, this is a wine that will provide delicious drinking over the next 7-10 years.
About the Producer
Chateau Phelan Segur is one of the wineries in the Saint-Estephe region of Bordeaux, France, and a member of the Union Des Grands Crus De Bordeaux. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Château Fragrance, located in the heart of the Saint-Estèphe appellation, has commanded majestic views over the Gironde. Irishman Bernard Phelan created this winery by merging two vineyards, Clos de Garramey and Domaine Segur. Later, Bernard's son Frank expanded the industry and changed the name of the winery to "Flying Dragon Family Winery" in the early 20th century. Under the careful care of the owner, the Fragrance Family Winery is famous for its elegant, delicate and mild style wines. In 1985, the Gardinier family bought the winery and it has been in operation ever since. The current vineyard area of Fragrance Saga Winery is 70 hectares, of which 55% of the land is used for Cabernet Sauvignon (Cabernet Sauvignon) grapes, 43% of the land is used to cultivate Merlot (Merlot) grapes, 1% of the land It is used to cultivate Petit Verdot, and 1% of the land is used to cultivate Cabernet Franc grapes. When the grapes reach the ideal ripeness, the winery will pick them manually. After picking, the grapes are screened, peeled, and then fermented in the traditional way. The fermented wine is then aged for 16-18 months in 60% new French oak barrels before being bottled in the winery. The Fragrance family winery produces three dry red wines, namely the Frank Phelan brand and the Fragrance family Bernie dry red wine (La Croix), which is mainly made from Cabernet Sauvignon from better vineyards. Bonis, Saint-Estephe, France), the current average annual production is 200,000 bottles.
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