Everything starts with a family by the name of Basterot. Who were the Basterots It is thought that they originated in Switzerland. Whether they did or not, they had already come to the Médoc, long before it became a wine producing region. The first Basterot can be found in records as Governor of Saint–Macaire in 1500.

This explains why most of his descendants were to be found around Bazas (near Sauternes), where they established themselves at the time of the French Revolution. However, much earlier, around 1570, one of them settled in Lesparre. Name unknown, this Basterot had a son Louis, who had a son Arnaud. Arnaud was the bailiff of Lesparre, and he had four children, two of which are important to our story.
The eldest of these was Gabriel, born about 1643, and the brother was Francois. Gabriel became the secretary–counsellor to the King and, in 1708, was living in Bordeaux. He had married a Marguerite Niney, in 1675, and they had numerous children (at least 6 that we know about).


Two of these went into the church. Two, (he had three by the name of Francois!) are in no way germane to our story. The third, Francois, was mayor of Lesparre at the time when an interdiction to plant vines in the Médoc came into force. The authorities were afraid that the rage to create vineyards would seriously diminish the essential grain production. He is notable as being one of the very few civic nobles to obey, and to try and enforce the interdiction.
Continuing, there was a daughter, Madeleine, who married a Filhot, and became vastly important on a different ladder, because she had a son, Gabriel Bartelemy Romain de Filhot, who then had a daughter, Marie Genevieve de Filhot, who married a Lur-Saluces of Chateau d’Yquem and took Filhot with her as part of her dowry into the Lur-Saluces possessions.

The important one of the six, from our point of view, was Bartelemy who was also the eldest, born 1st January 1680. Bartelemy had a son, Gabriel Bartelemy Basterot, born 1716, who married a d’Augeard. Now comes one of the vitally important moments in this history. Their daughter, Catherine, baptised 1747, married Joseph Marie, Le Vicomte de Segur, son of the Comte de Segur–Cabanac, on 22 nd May 1770.

This was one of the great families, whose noble history goes back many generations before this particular marriage. She became the Vicomtesse de Segur. Their estate was Segur-Garramey. Half the name of the property is now accounted for. Things went smoothly for the rich and happy couple for over 20 years, until the revolution reared its ugly head. Confiscation of noble lands started in 1793, and a lot of Segur–Cabanac, d’Augeard and Basterot land was appropriated by the State.
Joseph Marie emigrated to avoid decapitation, and so did Catherine’s mother. Joseph Marie`s effigy was burned in the public square. Catherine stayed, but went into hiding. Nobody knows where to this day. Most of her family were imprisoned, together with such well-known wine names such as Clarke, Burke, Lynch, etc. Some were beheaded.


Thanks to the intervention of a less noble family member, the valuation of Catherine’s estate, prior to confiscation and sale, was agreed to have been falsified, on the high side, for personal profit by the appointed evaluers and not for the State. The offenders were punished but this confused matters and, by immense good fortune, the property was finally never sold.

When the worst was over, Catherine was able to come out of hiding. She, and presumably her children, had clearly lived in total poverty and misery. One of Catherine’s children, a daughter, Therese Antoinette, was tough. She set about reclaiming the sequestrated but unsold property, and by dint of repeated petitions it was finally restored to them. Catherine moved back into her pre–revolution home, Segur Garramey, and Joseph Marie returned from abroad. The official post–revolution amnesty had been declared on 26th April 1802. They set about restoring things and were able to make wine again, in 1803.

Catherine died, on 10th January 1806, and her will left everything to her husband and her children. This will was only settled at the end of 1910. In fact, the Domaine of Segur–Garramey was the only possession left of real value. With Joseph Marie`s permission, the children decided to sell. The economic situation in the vineyards was bad, anti–British feeling had ruined the economy and the Bordeaux Négociants were buying up the vineyards.


In 1809, an Irishman, by the name of Bernard Phelan, had come to look the property over. He liked what he saw and already, in 1805, he had bought vines in Garramey (Clos de Garramey), together with Guestier of Barton and Guestier. He had lost money on this, and thought that buying Segur–Garramey would put things right. He bought. He purchased the property, on 30th June 1810, with approximately 30 Hectares of vines. He combined “Segur” with his “Clos de Garramey”.
It made a vast estate. With the sale of Segur–Garramey ended the saga of one of the greatest fortunes of 18th century Guyenne. All that was left to Joseph Marie and his children was Domaine de Bessan, at Civrac, and there they went to live. Joseph Marie died, in 1812, aged 68.

Phelan loved the property, which he now named Phelan Segur, and cherished it until he died in 1841. Now the second part of the name is also accounted for. He had been lucky. Under the law of 1825, promulgated by King Charles X, despoiled aristocrats could get their fortunes and part of their properties back. Catherine de Segur's (nee Basterot) heirs received 226,936 Francs – a fortune.
Fifteen years later and they would not have had to sell. Phelan constructed a stately, grandiose Chateau - a palatial residence that incorporated a cavernous vat room, storeroom and wine cellar in one single building. The grounds were equally magnificent – a 180 Hectare estate of which two–thirds was covered by pine forests and rolling meadows.

Bernard Phelan, son of Paul, had come to Ireland as an apprentice to Johnston, who was a Phelan family friend, in 1788. He had progressed to make himself a comfortable fortune. When he died, he left everything to his widow, who in turn left it all to their son, Frank. It was valued at 180,000 Francs, and, together with Meyney, Cos d'Estournel, Calon and Montrose, was among the 5 biggest properties in Saint Estephe.


Frank was only 21 when his father died. He was an innovator, a fine honest man, a good wine maker and much respected. He was mayor of Saint Estephe for 30 years. He died, in Paris, on 22nd April 1883, having cared for Phelan Segur through a long and peaceful period.
It is said that he narrowly missed being classified in the 1855 classification, and it is thought that the reason is perhaps that he was so modest and so low–key about his wine. His widow, Wilhelmina, continued to live at Phelan Segur. The two daughters

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