1996 Château Phelan-Segur

Château Phelan Segur is a Cru Bourgeois estate in St.-Estephe. The 158-acre estate has its roots in the 18th century, when an Irish wine broker named Bernard Phelan married a daughter of a Bordeaux wine broker and began making wine. Today Phelan Segur is owned by Xavier Gardinier. Vineyards are planted to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. About 160,000 bottles are produced annually. The second wine is Frank Phelan, which had its debut vintage in 1986.

Saint-Estèphe is in the northern Médoc, on the left bank of the Gironde River. Although it has no First Growth estates, its five Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Growth châteaux are notable, and, in recent decades, have become favorites with reviewers and consumers. Some reviewers also note that the appellation is today making excellent Cru Bourgeois wines, which frequently offer good value. There are 3,404 acres of vineyards and a variety of soil types, from gravelly soil to soil with significant sand or clay. The two Second Growth Châteaux in St.-Estephe are Cos d’Estournel and Montrose. The Third Growth Calon-Ségur is widely admired. The principal grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.