Solid wine. Bright blueberry and floral aromas follow through to a full body, with soft, velvety tannins and a long finish. Best since 1989.

The 2009 Phelan-Segur has a more generous and slightly more exotic bouquet than its peers with plush red cherry, redcurrant, soy and forest floor aromas that soar from the glass. Thankfully it maintains ample freshness and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip, quite firm and slightly chalky tannin with unerring symmetry and tension towards the finish that is pure class. This is an outstanding contribution to the vintage and it surely constitutes one of the best wines ever made at the estate.

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Phelan Segur leaps from the glass with scents of creme de cassis, molten chocolate, licorice and blueberry compote with touches of cardamom, Morello cherries and dried mint. Medium to full-bodied, the palate reveals beautiful poise with a fine frame of grainy tannins and a refreshing backbone, finishing long and mineral laced.

Caramel aromas, a wine that seems over-extracted, tough. The fruit has a juicy element, but misses out on elegance.

This is fleshy and polished, with layers of crushed plum, fig sauce and blackberry paste that unfurl slowly, backed by maduro tobacco, charcoal and iron. There's lots of minerality on the finish, but it's nicely enveloped in the fruit.