A Franco-Irish story
THE BIRTH OF A CASTLE IN THE 19TH CENTURY
It was in the 19th century thatBernard PhélanHe left his native Ireland to settle in Bordeaux. While working as a wine merchant himself, he married the daughter of a Bordeaux wine merchant. The couple had the château built, which would serve as a model in the new definition of architecture and viticulture. Indeed, while traditionally the cellars were separate from the private living quarters of the château, the Phélans combined the two spaces. They were therefore the forerunners of...Médoc houses.
With the acquisition ofClos de Garrameyin 1805 andSégurIn 1810, the family began their own farming operation. The son ofBernard, FrankUpon his father's death, he devoted himself to enhancing the family estate's reputation. At the beginning of the 20th century, theChâteau Ségurde Garramey changes his name to favor the expressionChâteau Phélan-Ségur.
Today,Château PhélanSégur is a family property;Philippe Van de Vyvere and his son PierreThey have owned it since January 2018. The property belongs to the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux.Place de BordeauxregisteredChâteau Phélan Ségurin the category ofGrands Crus Classés and Similar Wines.
Technology at the service of the land
EU VITICULTURE: BETWEEN MEASUREMENT AND INTERPRETATION
Not far from the Gironde estuary, on the appellationSaint-EstèpheThe 70 hectares of vineyards extend across the property. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varieties are planted in soil made ofclayey gravelsEnjoying a temperate climate with oceanic influences, as well as adequate drainage, the grape varieties can offer the purest expression of the terroir.
The young vines are divided into four plots which are cultivated in a sustainable way.Luc Peyronnet, head of culture atChâteau Phélan-SégurHe is passionate about vines. As a result, herbicides have been banned by the winemakers. The fertilizers used to nourish the soil are derived from organic compounds.
From the 1990s onwards, biotechnology has been used to eliminate the use of insecticides. Winegrowing teams also use this technique.GreenseekerThis last step allows for the measurement and interpretation of vine vigor and the creation of vineyard maps. This initially enables the optimization of exposure for different grape varieties, but also assists the vineyard manager in making informed decisions regarding vineyard management.
The expertise of Château Phélan Ségur
A WINEMAKING PROCESS BETWEEN SWEETNESS AND PRECISION
After hand-harvesting, the winemaking teams sort the grapes. The first sorting takes place on vibrating tables and is done by hand. A second optical sorting system was introduced in 2011. After crushing and a 10-day fermentation with punch-downs, the wines are placed in maceration. This stage takes place for about twenty days in 39 temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Since 2008, 8 new tanks have been added to the winery to allow for individual vineyard plots.
The aging process takes place in oak barrels for a period of14 to 18 monthsThe blending takes place at the end of this period. The racking is done by candlelight, according to the traditional method, gently and precisely.Michel Rolland, consulting oenologist, assistsFabrice Bacqueyin the assembly.
Château Phélan-Ségur has a first wine,Château Phélan-Ségurand two second wines:Frank Phélan and Croix Bonis.
