2000 Château Phélan Ségur, Saint-Estèphe

I enjoyed the wine yesterday with an excellent roast free range chicken. How wonderful such simple food can be (as opposed to battery farmed, “industrial” birds)!

The color of this wine made it look younger than its years.

The relatively understated nose was very Médoc, with ethereal blackcurrant and pencil shavings.

The wine did not have the richness and volume of a top-flight wine, but was very satisfying, perfectly in keeping with its status as a “cru bourgeois exceptionnel*“. There was decent tannic grip on the finish, but all-in-all, this is a good time to drink 2000 Phelan Ségur – in answer to that eternal question in Bordeaux of when to find the best balance between fruit and tertiary characteristics. It also confirms that mid-range 2000 Bordeaux wines are ready to go.

I served the wine blind to the wife. She asked: “Bordeaux”? Yes. Further rumination. “Saint-Estèphe”? Yes. More swirling, sipping and wrinkling of brow. “2000”? Yessiree. I must say, I was awfully impressed even if she didn’t get the château right (she plumped for Meyney).

* The “cru bourgeois exceptionnel” ranking disappeared in the most recent classification of the crus bourgeois, but apparently they will be bringing it back next time around.