2009 Phelan Segur 
St Estephe

If you want to enjoy a great Bordeaux at reasonable price, then I will not hesitate to recommend that you dig deep into the vintage 2009, they’re probably as great at the mesmerizing 1961 as I found both vintages with similar characteristics. Plus, you don’t have to dig deep into your pockets, like this Phelan Segur, with status of being just a Cru Bourgeois, can easily beat any classified growths coming from a lesser-known vintage. Bear in mind that back in 19th century, the owner Nicolas Alexandre de Segur used to own several famed estates, namely Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild and Latour, so this appellation was with great pedigree! Bouquet of some dusty notes, not as clean as I would expect. However, the dustiness did not reflect in the content of the wine; a sip and I was persuaded this wine was great, with bold elegance and refinement as the primary character, while very juicy black cherry fruits with solid weight made up the backbone of the wine.