For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two. This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while. I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.
Phil Green is a wine blogger in his spare time under the moniker Phil My Glass, but spends his weekdays as a wine consultant to restaurants and is also currently representing Champagne Perrier-Jouët.
Dreaming of a Red Christmas
Christmas is my favourite time of year. Not only because of visiting family, time off work and eating more food than you could fit in a supermarket trolley, but also because it’s a great excuse to open one of my bottles of wine that I’ve been keeping stored away. This year I’ll be cracking into one of my Château Phélan-Ségur 2010 bottles that has been giving me the glad eye all year.
Château Phélan-Ségur takes its name from original owner, Irishman Bernard Phelan, who acquired Domaine le Clos de Garamey in 1805 and Ségur de Cabernac in 1810. These estates were combined to create Château Ségur de Garamey. The estate was passed on to Bernard’s son, Frank Phelan in 1841 when Bernard passed away, and Frank renamed the estate as Chateau Phelan Segur.
The reputation of this château exceeds its placing in Bordeaux’s rankings. Not included in the original classification of 1855, the wine was classified as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels in 2003 and has been rated highly by critics such as Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson.
Situated in the commune of St Estèphe on Bordeaux’s left bank, the wine shows the trademark power of a Cabernet Sauvignon blend from this area of Bordeaux. The style of the chateau is to be fruit forward and have a good balance of oak. The last time I tasted this was about 2 years ago and I’m very interested to see how it has developed in a couple of years in the bottle, especially from a great vintage such as 2010.
Wines such as this deserve to be enjoyed with friends and family and be enjoyed slowly over the course of the evening and I will be looking forward to enjoying my bottle on Christmas day!
Château Phélan-Ségur 2010: available from McHughs at €70 (14.0%)
The full series of Wines at Xmas:
- Wines at Xmas #1 – Moscato d’Asti – Sam Logan of WinesDirect
- Wines at Xmas #2 – Champagne Pierre Moncuit – Jérémy Delannoy of SIYPS
- Wines at Xmas #3 – Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir – Carol Smaul of Gin & Griddle
- Wines at Xmas #4 – Ch Phelan Segur 2010 – Phil Green of Phil My Glass
- Wines at Xmas #5 – Charles Heidsieck & Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Douro Tinto – Joe Coyle of Liberty Wines
- Wines at Xmas #6 – Bellavista Franciacorta – Jean Smullen of Movies + Booze
- Wines at Xmas #7 – Antoniolo Gattarina & Pfalz Riesling – Jim Dunlop
- Wines at Xmas #8 – Maison Róisín Curley & Le Grappin – Mick O’Connell MW
- Wines at Xmas #9 – Finca Allende Rioja & Weingut Winter Rheinhessen ‘Kloppberg’ Riesling – Colly Murray of RetroVino
- Wines at Xmas #10 – Conde Valdemar Gran Reserva Rioja & Warre’s Otima 10 Tawny Port – Kerri Judge of Febvre Wines
- Wines at Xmas #11 – Elio Perrone Moscato d’Asti – James Hubbard
- Wines at Xmas #12 – Furlan Rose & Ca’Salina Giorgia -Julia Phillips of Just Perfect Wines
- Wines at Xmas #13 – Mas Coutelou – Alan March of A March in the Vines
- Wines at Xmas #14 – Gere Kopar 2002 – Richie Magnier of A Motley Cru
- Wines at Xmas #15 – Moment of Silence 2015 Blank Bottle & Emilien Château le Puy 2014 – Barbara Boyle MW of WineMason
- Wines at Xmas #16 – Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Grand Cru Saering 2014 & Castello di Fonterutoli Gran Selezione Chianti Classico 2013 – Effi Tsournava of Maisons Marques et Domaines & effidrinkswine.com
- Wines at Xmas #17 – Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Pianrosso Brunello di Montalcino – Sorcha Holloway of Away With Wine
Was lucky enough to enjoy a couple of bottles of the 2010 last year. Delightful.