Hot but not bothered – Phélan Ségur 2003

It's always interesting to re-taste the wines from Bordeaux's 2003 heatwave. There was much scaremongering at the time – the wines were flabby, they might fall apart before reaching maturity, they were largely atypical of the region, and so on. How enjoyable then, to taste Thierry Gardinier's classic, yet accessible St. Estephe, which has happily thwarted all the naysayers.

The vibrant garnet colour is just starting to brown at the rim, but it's the nose that really gets me excited – Fresh, ripe blackcurrant, cherries or even kirsch, a hint of eucalyptus, and somewhere in the background, just a whiff of the humidor and some toasted oak. And yes, there is a roasted character to it all, reminding us of the scorching temperatures that summer.

The palate is even more impressive, with wonderful purity of fruit and a profound yet earthy stew of blackcurrants, plums and dark chocolate. It’s well balanced, with refreshing acidity (so rare in this vintage), and an attractively chewy texture – th…