Winemaker Notes
Looking, smelling and tasting a glass of Rauzan Sagla wine is an invitation to a journey like no other. An adventure that is full of unique and delicious experiences that characterise the fine wines from Bordeaux. This journey of pleasure begins on the eye. The beauty of a color so intense that is impossible to take one's eyes off of it. A color that draws us in and makes us want to discover its secrets. The pleasure of its luxurious aromas disclosing cigar box notes which combine harmoniously with aromas of ripe fruits. Like a protective cocoon promising the ultimate in epicurean pleasures. The first sip coats the palate seductively with a combination of finesse, elegance and unparalleled charm. The wine's smooth, complex texture will make you want to linger over the tasting experience. To taste a glass of Rauzan-Stla is to savor its fruity freshness and let yourself be transported by its silky smooth texture, the result of over 3 centuries of winemaking expertise. It is to get lost in the eternal pleasures of tasting a fine Bordeaux, safe in the knowledge that it will reveal all its magnificent power over the years to come.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Rauzan-Ségla rocks up with vibrant notions of cherry pie, warm cassis, blackberry preserves and red roses with hints of cinnamon stick and cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely filled with wonderfully pure red and black fruits, framed by firm, very ripe, fine-grained tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy. Yum! The blend is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Rating: 96+
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a powerful, dense wine. Tannins come through strongly as does the dynamic black fruit. Likely to develop slowly, the wine’s concentration is impressive. Drink from 2024.
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Jeb Dunnuck
This estate continues to fashion a complex, elegant, seamless style of wine. The 2017 Chateau Rauzan-Segla offers a deep purple color as well as gorgeous notes of cassis, crushed violets, tobacco, and leafy herbs. Pure Margaux on the palate with its medium to full-bodied, ultra-fine, seamless texture, this flawlessly balanced 2017 will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20-25 years. The blend is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, all aged in 60% new French oak. Rating: 94+
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Wine Spectator
Inviting, with seductive damson plum, red currant, blackberry and black cherry puree flavors layered together, stitched with dried anise, sandalwood and black tea threads. Very fine acidity flows underneath, carrying this through a suave and lengthy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2035.
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Decanter
Rich, tight and deep, this wine has been extremely well handled in a vintage that suits this elegant style. There isn't the depth and complexity of expression that was seen in the previous two vintages, but it gets across the signature of the estate in an earlier drinking form - the absolute essence of what you want in a trickier vintage. If priced well, it's a buy.
Barrel Sample -
James Suckling
A delicious red with succulent berry and chocolate character. Creamy, ripe tannins add length and generosity. Medium body. Flavorful. A blend of 50.5% cabernet sauvignon, 46% merlot, 3% petit verdot and 0.5% cabernet franc. Second wine of Château Rauzan-Ségla. Drink or hold.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
Margaux’s gravel soils are the thinnest of the Médoc, making them most penetrable by vine roots—some reaching down over 23 feet for water. The best sites are said to be on gentle outcrops, or croupes, where more gravel facilitates good drainage.
The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area. In 1855 the finest chateaux were deemed on the basis of reputation and trading price—at that time. In 1855, Chateau Margaux achieved first growth status, yet it has been Chateau Palmer (officially third growth from the 1855 classification) that has consistently outperformed others throughout the 20th century.
Chateau Margaux in top vintages is capable of producing red Cabernet Sauvignon based wines described as pure, intense, spell-binding, refined and profound with flavors and aromas of black currant, violets, roses, orange peel, black tea and incense.
Other top producers worthy of noting include Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Lascombes, Brane-Cantenac, and d’Issan, among others.
The best wines of Margaux combine a deep ruby color with a polished structure, concentration and an unrivaled elegance.