Coravin fun - Bordeaux: Ferrand Lartigue, Belgrave, Phelan Segur

After this years En Primeur campaign I felt that my Bordeaux itch had not be sufficiently scratched so I plundered the cellar brandishing my Coravin rather than a corkscrew...that will come later

Purchased these on a whim as part of my exploration of the right bank post the success of the 85's that I took to Japan in April 2023 (I wonder if I will ever write such a pretentious sentence again in my life…inevitably no doubt). Very happy with both vintages but favour the 1996

• 1996 Château Ferrand Lartigue

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  From Coravin. Earth, clay, black hued fruits have a brooding quality; plum, blackcurrant, a little lozenge, forest floor, cedar, sweet spice, leather. Nice nose. And that impression translates to the palate, crunchy fruit has a little peppery note, tannins are integrated, drying on the mid palate, it's quite broad, finishes with a little leather, long, pleasing. Lovely in fact.

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• 1998 Château Ferrand Lartigue

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  From Coravin. After the 96 this is quite muted on the nose initially, touches of black and red Autumn berries, a little distant bonfire, sous bois, polished aged leather, smidge of tobacco leaf, cream. Juicy, fleshy, red and black fruits, touch of greenness to the tannins though they are silky textured with a slightly drying grip, finishes with a creamy quality, slightly muted overall with an earthy rusticity on the finish. Nice.

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5th Growth, one of only 5 (?) classed growths that aren't in the four main villages (or pessac/graves eh?) The first producer I purchased En Primeur and a personal favourite who consistently over delivers. I sometimes leave them a bit long before consumption so shame on me. I am finding the 15 vintage a bit hit and miss though the 2010 and 2016 are splendid

• 2005 Château Belgrave

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas of blackcurrant, bramble, tiny cassis note, sweet spice, cedar, a little forest floor, cigar box, leather. Juicy tends to medium plus intensity acidity lends a slightly sour quality to the fruit in the mouth, quite broad on the mid palate, tannins still firm, offering a tangible tug to the tongue, finishes leather, fruit doesn't persists as long as I would like though there is a residual of whisper of blackcurrant. Hmm to okay

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• 2010 Château Belgrave

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas of fresh blackcurrant, sweet oak spice, slightly meaty underpin, cold freshly tilled earth, cedar, a little dried plum and the blackcurrant note grows with time. Juicy, fresh and fleshy on the palate, a little hardness to the black fruits and tannins which are integrated and travel long, the latter raw silk textured, simple, balanced. Nice

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• 2015 Château Belgrave

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. Closed, black hued fruit are non delineated, there is a savoury quality here, touches of baked earth, tiny little tomato leaf, with time a creamy note. It's a bit tough on the palate, a tiny sour underpin to the fruit, lactic notes, tannins sit aside, drying, slightly green notes encroach on the finish. Hmm.

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• 2016 Château Belgrave

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. Quite polished after the last three wines, beautiful dark fruit offers currant, bramble, plum even a little black cherry, plenty of sweet spice, smells fresh even a little primary, The fruit gets a slightly stewed quality with time. In the mouth the primary fruit here is fresh, wild but more lean quality. The oaky tannins are grippy, grainy, drying to the point of puckering, the fruit persists, with a dusty of baking spice, and becomes more compote on the very long finish. Yummo.

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Ahh, Phelan Segur so classy for an unlcassed wine but there are a positive plethora of these in St Estephe and, thanks to climate change, this is increasingly so. This was a near vertical of modern, clean and rather lovely wines. My pick of the bunch was probably the 2016 but the 2017 is an impressive wine in such a hit and miss vintage.

• 2015 Château Phélan Ségur

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  From Coravin. Plums over blackcurrant, sweet spice, a little rocky minerality, cedar, brambles, touch of mint and earth. With agitation the fruit gets more jubey. Red hued fruits joins the black on the plate with juicy tending to medium plus intensity acidity and drying back palate tannins thar are coarse flour textured and persistent. Fruit carries with these elements, a little lactic creaminess on the finish. S'okay

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• 2016 Château Phélan Ségur

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  From Coravin. Plums, blackcurrant, touch of berry, forest floor, slightly leafy and with polished oak lending sweet spice, fruit has a jubey quality and, with time, a tiny mineral underpin. On the palate it's initially full of fruit sweetness and generosity then the tannins arrive, oak and grape derived and tightly tooled, again lending some sweet spice but also grainy with a slightly bitter underpin which enhances the leafy note. Fruit is slightly diminished. time but promise.

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• 2017 Château Phélan Ségur

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  From Coravin. Red and black fruits; plums, a little berry, brambles and blackcurrant, sweet spice, slight leafiness that grows with time and translates to the palate, where, accompanied by the fresh acidity and crunchy red and black fruits, it makes a pleasing whole in the slightly unripe space, tannins have a touch of freshness which I do not find off putting. Nice lunchtime Claret. Nom nom nom.

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• 2019 Château Phélan Ségur

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  From Coravin. Ooh, quite reticent, savoury, meaty, concentrated, fruit a little dialled back after the last three wines. With hand warmth and agitation it becomes quite spiritous but shows some poached plum and blackcurrant fruit, a little mint, polished oak offers sweet spice and cedar, a little jubey note has a savoury meaty underpin, and a creamy lactic note completes the nose. In the mouth the poached plum and blackcurrant accompany the tight grainy woody tannins which prove quite astringent on this tasting. Fruit persists on the long finish by the alcohol Time will help with this slightly unwieldy and overbearing tannins but, unfortunately, the alcohol is a different challenge.

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What a lot of fun. 1996 and 2016 exceedingly pleasing is what I'm taking out of this.