2005 Ch. Phélan Ségur, St Estèphe

The Bordelais do a nice line in beautiful chateaux, and overlooking the river Gironde, Phélan Ségur's is one of the best examples. It is firm with concentrated blackcurrant and minerally fruit and is surprisingly substantial - much more so than the very enjoyable 2004. It is pure Phélan-Ségur and classic St Estèphe, but with an extra turbo boost from the 2005 vintage. One of the cleverest buys of the vintage. Certainly it is the best Phélan of the modern era.

I had hoped this offering would turn out even better, but it is still a tasty, well-made Bordeaux that represents reasonably good value in this super-expensive vintage. Deep ruby to the rim, it offers up scents of damp earth, black currants, cherries, licorice, and herbs, medium body, moderate tannin, and 10-15 years of longevity.
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - 30-Apr-2008)