[ Home > Wines > Bordeaux > Margaux > Chateau Rauzan Segla 2000 - Bordeaux ]
Margaux Bordeaux Supercomplex and intense, with violet, berry, currant and a hint of dried spices. Full-bodied and broad-shouldered. Intense tannins. This is a blockbuster. The new super-second. Score range: 95-100 Wine Spectator VINEYARD COMPOSITION/VARIETAL PROFILE: 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc 121 acres total. The average age of vines is 20 years, with an annual production of about 8,000 cases for Château Rauzan-Ségla (15,000-16,000 cases total). HISTORY This historic brand traces its history back to 1661, when the original owner, Pierre des Mesures de Rauzan, first established the vineyard. During the official classification process of 1855, Rauzan-Ségla was ranked sixth in the entire region, just behind the four first growths and a single top-ranked second growth (Mouton-Rothschild, which has since been elevated to a first growth) as testimonial to its brilliant potential. Unfortunately this potential lagged a bit during the 1960's and 70's, but updated management and technology have restored the property to its historic place among Bordeaux's first rank. In 1983, Jacques Théo, former head of Alexis Lichine & Company, took over the day to day operations. Accompanied by a new cellarmaster, he supervised construction of a new chai and fermentation vats. They also replaced a problematic Merlot clone in the vineyards, increased the percentage of new oak barrels and inaugurated a severe grape selection, all of which brought Château Rauzan-Ségla back to the forefront in quality. The recent sale of the property to the house of Chanel in 1994 should allow these high standards to continue. VINIFICATION Grapes are hand-picked and fermented 18-24 days in temperature-controlled tanks. After malolactic fermentation, the wines are transferred to oak barrels (60% new) for about 20 months of aging, then fined but not filtered before bottling. STYLE The outstanding Château Rauzan-Ségla makes structured, muscular red Bordeaux in the most classic style. Full-bodied and tannic, with a long, very dry finish, these wines have impeccable Cabernet Sauvignon character and flavor extraction. They can be rather aggressive and hard to comprehend when young. With age, however, their cigar box, cassis, floral and spice aromas are accompanied by equally intense flavors. The result is a perfectly balanced, memorably complex wine that is truly world class. Maturity for most vintages is reached between seven and thirty years, but many years live much longer. Fortunately for aficionados, prices for Château Rauzan-Ségla have not yet caught up to its restored standards, making it slightly underpriced for its extremely high quality |
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