Tasted at the chateau, the 1996 Phelan-Segur is actually a wine that I tasted regularly around the turn of the millennium. It is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. It has always been a decent Saint Estèphe and there is much to like about it 20 years on. The bouquet is well defined and fresher than the 1986 Phelan-Segur tasted alongside: blackberry, raspberry coulis and a touch of crushed stone. It is classier than some might presuppose. The palate is well balanced, fleshy for a 1996 with ample black cherry, raspberry, sage, game and cedar notes. Quite cohesive in the mouth with fine structure, it is not the most sophisticated Saint Estèphe on the block, yet it continues to give satisfying drinking pleasure and complexity. This is a gutsy Phelan-Segur (a word used by one Robert Parker when tasting this same wine from barrel) and I could easily see this giving another decade's worth of pleasure. Tasted July 2016.

This well-made Cru Bourgeois exhibits a dark ruby color, and a round, attractive nose of black currants, raspberries, and earth. Medium-bodied, with sweet tannin and good purity, this wine should drink well for a decade.

This is not a blockbuster, but it is a delicious bottle. Beautiful chocolate and berry character. Medium-bodied, with a good core of fruit and velvety tannins. Medium finish. Best after 2001. -JS