Andrew Jefford | Dark black-red. Absolutely no sense of unripeness here, though the curranty fruits are in abeyance for the time being; there’s a nuanced leafy freshness; sweetness and juniper perfume draw the drinker in. An aroma of charm and intricacy. On the palate, this is (as Phélan-Ségur so often is) quintessential St-Estèphe: a little bit stern, a little bit austere, with plenty of spine, but the flesh covers those bones with a grace, an allure, and a charm that only dawns on you slowly—and then you’re hooked. Lovely wine and absolutely no sense of vintage greenness or weakness. Buy with total confidence. 2018–25. | 90

Michael Schuster | A fine, sweetly ripe, blackcurrant aromatic nose; medium-full, fresh, finely, gently oakily tannic, nicely balanced if marked a touch by the year’s “acidity”; quite long, if slightly austere; good, but will need time. 2024–30+. | 89