This is good quality in 2018, as it has consistently been over the past few vintages. It has a silky texture and is powerful but restrained, displaying the freshness and power of the clay that underpins the soils here and demonstrating just how good the Merlots were when they were picked at full ripeness but not more - here they were also given one week less than usual for the extraction. There's plenty of concentration here but it's hidden, latent, reserving its energy for the long haul. Harvest took place between 24 September and 11 October, with a good yield of 49hl/ha. 60% of the production went into the grand vin. 3.8pH. 77IPT.
- www.decanter.com, Jane Anson, April 2019

The 2018 Phélan Ségur is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot, harvested from September 14 to October 4. The wine comes in at 14% alcohol, 3.8 pH and has an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 77. Deep purple-black in color, it springs from the glass with bright, vibrant notes of raspberry preserves, kirsch and ripe blackcurrants with hints of rose petals, tilled black soil, spice cake and warm plums plus a waft of star anise. Medium to full-bodied with a solid backbone of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, the palate sports a taut, muscular fruit profile with loads of bright red fruit sparks and a long, earthy finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, April 2019, The Wine Advocate

The 2018 Château Phélan Ségur is another winner from director Véronique Dausse that does everything right. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot, its deep purple color is followed by a deep, rich, medium to full-bodied Saint-Estèphe that has thrilling purity of fruit, terrific concentration, and ripe tannins. You can’t go wrong on this one. It will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15-20 years or more. It should match or exceed the brilliant 2016. - jebdunnuck.com, May 2019

Deepest purple. Pure if slightly charry blackcurrant fruit. Dark-chocolate notes add another layer but not sweetness. Chewy, thick, dry but not tough tannins. Tongue-tied and not ready to be tasted, let alone drunk, for some time. Quite oaky. Chewy on the finish but there's plenty of compact fruit too – just all so dense that it is tied up on itself. More aromatic in the empty glass – the sweet black fruit and a hint of violets. Needs time to open in the glass just as it needs time in bottle. My score is based on the hope that it will eventually unfurl.Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, April 2019