Unusually in terms of my recent experience, this is tasting far more plump and inviting than the 2011 right now - with well defined and purely-delivered cassis and bilberry flavours, some creamy texture and enjoyably confident tannins. It has a bright, fresh finish with crushed mint notes and plenty of St Estèphe power. 3.72pH. Harvest from October 8 to 19. Drinking Window 2020 - 2036.Decanter | 92 DECAs is often the case with Phélan Ségur, there is an excess of wood in this wine. Sometimes it works, as here, because the big, bold fruits are powerful enough to match the toastiness. That suggests a future as a ripe, black-fruited and structured wine with room for juicy acidity. Drink from 2019.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WELots of violet, sandalwood, currant and tar character. Subtle and pretty. Full body, fine tannins and a balanced and fresh finish. Pretty wine. Hard not to drink now. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 91 JSOffers a dark, dense feel, with layers of fig, blackberry, leather, chestnut, tobacco and loam all carrying through the broad, smoky finish. Features solid fruit, with an ample tug of earth. A solid effort for the vintage. Best from 2017 through 2022. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe Gardinier family, who farm citrus groves in Florida, purchased this cru Bourgeois in 1985 and have patiently brought its wines to grand cru classé stature. This 2012 is still youthful and unformed, but it has a distinctly Phélan personality, the wine quiet with scents of cassis and tobacco, building richness slowly as it expands into a heady finish, leaving a lush, juicy impression in the end. Check on this five or six years from the vintage, when it will begin to approach peak drinking.Wine & Spirits | 90 W&S
