Château Rauzan-Ségla Retrospective, 2015: Through the Years
The first vintage in this Château Rauzan-Ségla retrospective is 1998, coming just four years after the arrival of John Kolasa. At this point in time the Rauzan-Ségla vineyard has contracted to 46 hectares, I suspect because of the work undertaken by John in the early years, overseeing the installation of drains and replanting as required. The varieties planted at this time were 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. After a humid spring the 1998 growing season was blessed with good conditions during the flowering, followed by a warm July and August, a humid September at first, then warm weather running through the harvest. The Merlot was picked between September 24th to the 30th, the Cabernets from October 3rd to the 8th. After vinification the wine saw an élevage in 75% new oak, which seems rather ambitious, the final blend 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, the Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot clearly not up to the job. I have never really regarded the 1998 vintage as a very exciting one on the left bank, much of what I have tasted having had a rather hard and ungiving texture, but the 1998 Château Rauzan-Ségla is certainly appealing in a very gentle way. It is ready for drinking now, although it will hold a little longer if you should so wish.
Moving on we come to the 2001 vintage, when the vineyard seems to have expanded slightly, as it is now back up to 50 hectares. The new planting seems to have focused on Cabernet Sauvignon, this variety now accounting for 63.5% of the vineyard, with 33.5% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, while Petit Verdot was no more. The season started off rather damp in April, but it was drier thereafter, and there were good conditions for the flowering. Then there came a cool July and a delayed véraison, followed by a somewhat later harvest, certainly later than 1998 at any rate. The picking of the Merlot began on September 28th and continued until October 5th, and the Cabernets ran from October 5th until the 11th. The vintage is not one that generated a great deal of interest, perhaps unsurprisingly after such a luke warm growing season, but in retrospect it seems to me that it was overshadowed by 2000, and that 2001 has since proven its worth on both the left and right banks. With regard to the 2001 Château Rauzan-Ségla specifically, the élevage was much more restrained, with just 50% new oak, and the final blend was 63.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33.5% Merlot, and this time there was room for 3% Cabernet Franc. And I certainly find this to be a very impressive wine, reinforcing my bias that this is a very good vintage that was sadly overlooked when it was young.
