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Chateau Rauzan-Ségla

It is September, 2002. I'm enjoying a blind tasting of 1985 Bordeaux where, nestling among the super-seconds such as Léoville-Barton and Léoville Las-Cases, there is one wine which simply astounds; ripe, flavoursome, but with such a precise, stream-lined, glabrous structure which almost beggars belief. To this day, it remains one of my most memorable bottles. When the label was revealed, it was Chateau Rausan-Ségla 1985.

It is March 2006; my birthday. Such an occasion, in fact any special occasion at all, demands a special wine. Something treasured, something memorable. A wine that will offer a complex array of aromas and flavours, framed with a finely balanced structure. A wine that will give pleasure, stimulating the palate and the mind. I open, and enjoy, a bottle of Chateau Rausan-Ségla 1982.

And so this is the story of Chateau Rausan-Ségla, or Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, for they are one and the same; a change of name in 1994 accounts for the metamorphosis from Rausan to Rauzan (with Rauzan being the original spelling, in fact, so this change seems entirely appropriate). A second growth property, one that would pretend to the list of 'super-seconds' along with the Pichons and the Léovilles, but somehow not quite making it. Like many Margaux chateaux, Rauzan-Ségla seems to have had to have a problem with sporadic under-achievement, every great bottle and every great vintage countered by a less than stellar performance at another moment. But Rauzan-Ségla can deliver, and when it does it can do so with a heavyweight punch. For that reason alone, it is worth knowing this property.

I have already mentioned the Pichons and the Léoville; there is indeed one certain similarity between all these chateau; like these leading estates of Pauillac and St Julien, Rauzan-Ségla was once part of a much larger vineyard, from which Rauzan-Ségla and one other Margaux second growth, Rauzan-Gassies, originate. The Rauzan estate was created by Pierre des Mesures de Rauzan, who in 1661 purchased a large portion of the Médoc around Cantenac, the swath of land incorporating many vineyards that are today classed growths in their own right. The Rauzan property went from strength to strength, but nevertheless it became fragmented as it was inherited from one generation of the family to the next. Quality was maintained, but the original Rauzan estate could not be saved; by the time of the 1855 classification, the estate was firmly divided into two; Rauzan-Ségla and Rauzan-Gassies; it remains so divided today.

The next most significant change came in 1903, when Rauzan-Ségla came to Frédéric Cruse, of the locally renowned Cruse dynasty. Their tenure lasted for half a century or thereabouts, however, and is reputed to have been rather ignominious, although I have tasted none of these wines myself. It seems to be the usual story; at its root, a lack of investment by the owners, with the continued use of ageing cellar equipment including infected barrels which left their tainted mark on many of the wines. They were responsible for the construction of the chateau, however, so the Cruse family did leave at least one positive mark here. Nevertheless, they were forced to sell in 1956, leaving the Cruse descendants with no major properties other than Chateau d'Issan, where Emmanuel Cruse remains in charge to this day.

The subsequent proprietor sold onto a Liverpool firm, John Holt, in 1960, and the management of the property was taken on by the négociants Eschenauer, who in doing so gained exclusive distribution rights to the wines of the property. This team started the long process of turning Chateau Rauzan-Ségla around, expanding the vineyards which were in decline, and replanting high-yielding, low quality Merlot clones with fresh swathes of Cabernet Sauvignon. Much of the improvement followed on from 1983, when Jacques Théo headed up the team, replacing the cellar master with a M. Pruzeau, and gutting the cellar, replacing the mouldy barrels with new stainless steel equipment. Judging by my tasting of some vintages from this era, there were certainly some very good wines bearing the Rauzan-Ségla label at this time. The 1982 is said to be the vintage in which the investment shows through in the wine, even more so in the 1985, and I would not disagree with this assessment. Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement. Perhaps this was in the mind of Brent Walker, who purchased the property in 1989. Whatever plans he had, however, they were not to bear fruit; in 1994 he sold the estate on to the Wertheimer family of Chanel, who installed a winemaking team led by David Orr (from Chateau Latour) and John Kolasa. Chanel remain the current owners, and they are credited with continuing to push the quality ever higher.

The vineyard at Chateau Rauzan-Ségla supports 51 ha of vines, with a dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon (61%) and Merlot (35%), with 2% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The soils underfoot are typical Gunzian gravel, the fruit harvested manually, the must fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel. The wine will then go into barrel, 60% new each vintage, for up to twenty months, finishing with an egg white fining. The end product is bottled unfiltered. The grand vin is Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, of which there are typically 8000 cases produced per annum. Rigorous selection is essential, ensuring that only the choicest portion of the harvest goes into the grand vin, the rest going into the second wine, Ségla. This has helped to push quality further forward - in 1987, for instance, the entire crop was declassified, with the whole production being channelled into the second wine, or sold off in bulk.

I think I have probably said enough about the quality of the wines from the latter part of the Eschenauer era, which can be, in my experience, exceptional. But what of more recent vintages? Chanel took control of Rauzan-Ségla in 1994 (and of Chateau Canon in St Emilion in 1996), and there certainly doesn't seem to be any dramatic reduction in quality. I thought the 1996, in particular, to be excellent, and both the 2001 and 2003 were extraordinarily good, crammed with potential for the future. Other vintages, such as the 1998 and the 2004, are less convincing. My most recent tasting was of the 2005 vintage, and I wasn't swept off my feet in the way I would have hoped. Perhaps expectations were too high, but considering this is a once-in-a-lifetime vintage (until the next one comes along, anyway) the wine demonstrated a remarkably short finish; this was a great shame, as everything else was in place. I will reserve judgement, however, as this was a barrel sample of a wine barely finished fermenting, and certainly at the tail-end of malolactic. Time will tell. (21/11/01, updated 6/7/06)

Contact details:
Address: Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, 33460 Margaux
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 88 82 10
Fax +33 (0) 5 57 88 34 54

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla - Tasting Notes

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Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2008: Rather muted, furry fruit on the nose, with a very firm substance and piles of substance and tannin on the palate. Good firm acidity, plenty of dark fruit, a decent body in the middle and freshness towards the finish. A decent length. A good effort. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 16.5-17.5+/20 (April 2009)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2007: The first taste of this wine was corked, and by the look of the bottle I wasn't the first taster here. What did the other tasters think of the wine? A sample drawn from a freshly opened bottle showed some lovely nutty fruit, spice and good style. A nice substance on the palate, elegant, textured but also refined. An appealing character and great composition here, with a very harmonious finish. One of the best wines from this commune I think. From a tasting of 2007 Bordeaux at two years of age. 16+/20 (October 2009)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2007: Lovely fruit here, it is presented in a very open and accessible style. Firm, perhaps a touch burly, certainly not the apparent elegant nature of some other wines, but on the palate it has a nice approach, and a soft and almost creamy texture which covers the firm tannic backbone very well. Ripe and dense, but with a brightness to the fruit here. Lifted and potentially very good. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 15.5-16.5+/20 (April 2008)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2006: Dense and slightly exotic red fruits, with a gravelly feel to them, alongside the usual nutty oak. A gentle midpalate, a little supple, restrained and quite elegant. There is a firm grip behind it, with good tannins. I'm not sure that this isn't a little too understated even for me, but I think there may be some good potential here. From a tasting of 2006 Bordeaux at two years of age. 16-16.5+/20 (October 2008)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2006: On the nose this has a lovely, stony, perfumed fruit which speaks very much of the commune. On the palate it is another attractive, light-footed wine with spiced fruits. It is rounded, attractive, not compelling, but it may fatten up in barrel to develop a little more punch. Pleasing enough now though. From my 2006 Bordeaux assessment. 16-17+/20 (April 2007)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2005: A tighter nose than some, also with a firm oaky streak although with a more grainy character. Elements of smoke, tobacco leaf, rose petal, this is already showing a very fine dark fruit complexity. The palate is fine, with a very tight and pure frame for the substance of the wine, with crisp definition, gritty tannins and good acidity the most positive elements. Very soft towards the finish, charcoaly, with beautiful balance of flesh and structural elements. Overall, this is lovely. From a 2005 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 18-18.5+/20 (November 2009)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2005: An elegant nose here, still showing nutty oak, but with a good depth of fruit. This opens out in the glass to reveal a little fruit complexity, laced with white pepper. Pure and creamy on the palate, components which are laid over a rather firm structure, accompanied by rich fruit and fine acids. There is elegance here, a rounded, complete style with lovely extract. I think this has fine potential. From my tasting of 2005 Bordeaux at two years of age. 17.5+/20 (October 2007)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2005: A deep colour, although not so deep as to be opaque. Sweet, slightly confected nose, showing ripe fruit with little floral and mineral elements. Quite nicely balanced on the palate, ripe and a little creamy, with good rather prominent acidity and gentle, supple tannins. This offers an intriguing melange of ripeness and almost creamy opulence, alongside a nice minerality and floral freshness rather typical of Margaux. My only concern is that this impressive palate dies away very quickly on the finish. More persistence and I would be more impressed, but this certainly has potential. From my 2005 Bordeaux en primeur tasting. 16-17/20 (April 2006)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2004: Very bright and elegant red fruits in evidence here today, raspberry, cherry and liquorice, with a complex and very true gravel edge. It starts off soft, but builds to a gently creamy midpalate of good vinosity and a sappy-savoury edge. The tannins are ripe, well covered, and there is well balanced acidity. On the finish there is a wealth of lovely, vibrant fruit. Elegant, and very good. This sits at the top end of my score range from two years ago. From a 2004 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 17+/20 (November 2008)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2004: Rather closed, sadly. A subdued tannic structure on the palate, with appropriate acidity and texture. This is really shut down on the palate, and difficult to assess. But it has a fine presence, good weight and this bodes well for the future. From my 2004 Bordeaux assessment. 16-17+/20 (October 2006)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2004: A moderate depth of colour. Rather youthful character on the nose, still showing traces of nutty oak alongside the dark fruits. Rather lean on entry, demonstrating attractive flavour but it has an overly-reserved, rather meanly textured style, with a early appearing rather grippy tannins. Good fresh acidity. The texture detracts, but fairly good nevertheless. It may perform quite well with a long time in the cellar. 15.5+/20 (April 2006)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2003: An evocative, sexy nose with notes of fruitcake and nuts on the nose wrapped up in a creamy, seductive style. There is real class on the palate, where a rounded, creamy, almost fat texture is counterbalanced by a firm core of tannins, welcome for this vintage, a decent, fresh seam of acidity. This has really good style, and although the tannins remain a dominant feature, past that the wine is just lovely. Again tasted last year, this remains a very strong wine. 17.5+/20 (November 2006)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2003: A blend of nuts and black fruit on the nose here. This is promising. Nice, supple style on entry, then a core of ripe tannins well supported by dark black fruits, with a faint floral edge. This has lovely style; elegance and fresh acidity. Excellent potential here. From my 2003 Bordeaux assessment. 17.5+/20 (October 2005)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2001: An appealing, nutty element here, and a rather sveltely presented bouquet. Rounded and creamy suppleness on the palate, but with an attractive reserve, with the texture building on the midpalate to provide some real pleasure. Still lots of primary, mineral fruit here, in a well-knit, balanced wine; it is a little closed down compared to my tasting last year, but it shows plenty of potential for the cellar. 17.5+/20 (November 2006)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 2001: In comparison, this has a delightfully exotic nose, brimming with mineral, stony, floral and aromatic fruit. It has an elegant balance, and shows great suppleness. There are some fine tannins which are already showing early integration, and a rounded, stylish finish. This is very good, with excellent potential. 17.5+/20 (November 2005)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 1998: Showing the hue of early maturity here, although there is still a certain vibrancy to it. A lovely nose, pleasing, with good secondary characteristics from its six or so years in bottle. Medium weight on the palate, softly textured rather than plush, quite an elegant style. It has a soft tannic structure and a full, almost plump character. Good quality here. Just needs some more time - four to six years - to continue on the road to developing some really interesting secondary characteristics. Could be very good. 16+/20 (March 2006)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 1998: A dense purple wine, looking vibrant and youthful. The nose is packed with fruit, and also smoke and coffee. Big, round and supple on entry, with a massive amount of tannins appearing midpalate, completely dominating the wine. Loads of powerful, spicy fruit. An impressive wine, although almost impossible to drink at the moment thanks to all those tannins. 16+/20 (November 2001)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 1996: There is lovely character on the nose here, which exhibits aromas of dark, slightly floral, somewhat nutty fruit. The palate demonstrates a fine, elegant balance, with a seamless finesse. It is quite fluid and has wonderful style, but pleases with a creamy presence and correct structure. This is fine, but would be even greater in 3-5 years time. Excellent. 18+/20 (November 2005)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 1995: A gorgeous looking, densely coloured red-purple wine. Coffee, smoke and cigars on the nose. On the palate, fat and round fruit is backed up by spice and tannin. There's just a touch of sweetness to this very firm and tannic wine. Needs a lot of time yet. 17+/20 (November 2001)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 1994: Dense and mature colour. More closed on the nose than some other 1994s, although it does open to reveal some dark fruits. Structured, with ripe tannins, but there is plenty of texture draped over it. The fruit is there too. A full, delicious wine, very supple, and approachable now. From a Bordeaux 1994 horizontal tasting. 17+/20 (July 2004)

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 1994: A slight fade to the colour here. Quite inexpressive on the nose, just revealing a little blackcurrant fruit with time. Quite harsh on entry to the palate, with again massive tannins riding roughshod over what fruit and tannins are there. Another wine difficult to drink, not only too tannic but also quite closed down. 17+/20 (November 2001)

Chateau Rausan-Ségla (Margaux) 1989: A deeper purple hue with the barest hint of tawny-mahogany on the rim. Liquorice and cashew nuts mark this as a more youthful wine. A masculine, powerful impression. A harsh power on the palate, with tannins immediately evident on entry, persisting through to the finish. Lots of fruit, with cigar box complexity. Correct acidity, although not as beautifully balanced as the previous wine. Tannic finish. Great length. 18+/20 (November 2001)

Chateau Rausan-Ségla (Margaux) 1985: This has a good, youthful colour. The nose is simply gorgeous – sweet fruit, superbly perfumed, with a toffee streak. This classy wine has Margaux written all over it. The palate has a firm, rounded texture and a medium body. It is full, with sweet fruit, and very elegant. Correct tannins provide structure, and in balanced with totally correct acidity. A complete and harmonious wine. From a Bordeaux 1985 blind horizontal tasting. 19/20 (September 2002)

Chateau Rausan-Ségla (Margaux) 1985: A good colour to this wine, with just a mahogany rim. Absolutely glorious aromas on the nose, which is open and expressive, and laden with perfume, rose petal tobacco, gentle spices and just a drop of tar. On entry there is a beautifully creamy texture, with lovely fruit and a touch of spice. Some initially peppery tannins settle with aeration. Perfectly balanced, with good acidity. Fantastic length. What a wine! 19/20 (November 2001)

Chateau Rausan-Ségla (Margaux) 1983: Vibrant, deeply coloured, with just a little maturity on inspection. Glorious nose; open and expressive, with mature, stylish, meaty, scrubby, maturing fruit. Ripe, full, sweet palate, with grip and balance. Lovely texture. Stylish, effortless, although not with the elegance and typicity that other vintages of RS can offer. Very good though. Drinking now. From a Bordeaux 1983 tasting. 16.5/20 (February 2005)

Chateau Rausan-Ségla (Margaux) 1983: A dark, red-brown colour here, which is very dense. Rich and impressive fruit on the nose, which precedes a wonderful palate. It is richly textured, still with a touch of grip, but with a soft, silky character. Maturing roasted fruit. Beautifully structured and put together, with perfectly integrated acidity. This is brilliant. From a 1983 Vintage twenty years on blind tasting. 18.5/20 (April 2003)

Chateau Rausan-Ségla (Margaux) 1983: Mahogany notes here. In contrast to some other vintages tasted alongside, this wine has a more delicate feminine nose, with hints of bell peppers and smoke. Balanced on entry, with lots of fruit. Soft, pleasing tannins provide some structure to this soft and creamily textured wine. Shorter length, but impresses with its opulent feel. 18.5/20 (November 2001)

Chateau Rausan-Ségla (Margaux) 1982: I wasn't expecting much from this wine; several sources of information suggested that this was a rather mediocre example of 1982, with Broadbean describing it as "lean and piquant" back in 1991. Hmmm. Great fill on this bottle, within a centimetre of the cork; this comes from a trustworthy source and has impeccable provenance. Lovely mature mahogany colour in the decanter, having decanted it off a very light sediment. Lovely nose, mature and meaty, a little caramel sweetness and a bloody, black olive note. Medium bodied, elegantly textured, certainly not lean. If anything quite a full midpalate, although with spicy, peppery acidity providing quite an edge. A fine, mature quality, ending with an appealing, meaty, somewhat chalky flourish. Very good indeed. Holding well, but lovely to drink now. From my 2006 Birthday Treats. 18/20 (March 2006)

Chateau Rausan-Ségla (Margaux) 1982: A dense purple-mahogany wine. This wine has a nose of dense and chewy fruit, with some toffee and caramel notes. There is clearly less style here compared to the first three wines. Lots of fruit on the palate, with some floral and tobacco notes. Some spicy tannins and fair acidity. Not quite as impressive as the previous wines, with less character. 17.5/20 (November 2001)