The 2023 Phelan-Segur Bordeaux Blend is a red wine hailing from the St Estephe sub-region of Bordeaux, France. This wine is produced by Phelan-Segur and is crafted using a blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and a small amount of Cabernet Franc.
James Suckling awarded the wine an impressive 97 points, emphasizing its "beautiful polish and intensity for the vintage," with notable flavors of "blackcurrant, lead pencil, and light chocolate." He praised its "well-integrated fruit and tannins" and "velvet texture," predicting an excellent potential for aging (jamessuckling.com, 4/22/2024).
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, represented by William Kelley, rated it at 93 points. He lauded the wine's aromas of "cassis, dark berries, licorice, and toasty new oak," along with a "deep and nicely concentrated palate" featuring "plenty of powdery structuring tannin and good length on the finish" (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 4/26/2024).
Vinous' Neal Martin also gave it a favorable review with 94 points, noting its "very pure bouquet" and "fine-boned tannins." He appreciated the wine's balance and found it "quite an 'involving' wine" with a touch of balsamic that "perks up the finish" (Vinous, 4/29/2024).
Jane Anson awarded the wine 95 points, describing it as "standout quality" with complex notes of "squid ink, cocoa bean, espresso, and fresh cut herbs." She highlighted its impressive structure and long aging potential, asserting this might be "the best Phélan Ségur that I have tasted En Primeur" (janeanson.com, 4/17/2024).
Jeff Leve from The Wine Cellar Insider gave it 94 points, praising its "richness, freshness, balance, and complexity," with flavors of "flowers, black raspberries, cherries, mint, and Asian spices" (TheWineCellarInsider.com, 5/4/2024).
Jeb Dunnuck also rated it 94 points, describing it as "a beautiful, concentrated, elegant 2023" with "integrated tannins and acidity" and a "brilliant nose of pure cassis, sappy tobacco, flowers, and hints of leather" (jebdunnuck.com, 5/8/2024).
The Wine Independent’s Lisa Perrotti-Brown echoed these sentiments, awarding it 94 points and highlighting its "lively and refreshing" palate with "crushed blackcurrants, fresh blackberries, and Morello cherries" (The Wine Independent, 5/7/2024).
Finally, Decanter rated it at 95 points, praising its "darkly fragrant, herbal and softly floral" profile with "blackcurrant, red cherry, and coffee bean accents." They noted its "smooth and supple" texture and "extremely balanced and juicy" finish (Decanter, 4/8/2024).
Overall, the 2023 Phelan-Segur Bordeaux Blend is highly regarded by reviewers for its complexity, balance, and aging potential.