2nd Grand Cru Classé in 1855
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The Château Rauzan-Ségla reflects the richness and elegance of the greatest wines of Margaux. It was in 1661 that Pierre Desmures, a Bordeaux merchant, acquired the house of Gassies, which was split into two more than a century later: Château Rauzan-Gassies on the one hand and Château Rauzan on the other. The latter became Rauzan-Ségla under the aegis of the daughter of Baron Pierre-Louis de Ségla. The wine of Domaine seduced Thomas Jefferson in 1787, future president of the United States and ambassador in Paris. So much so that he will order several cases for himself and on behalf of George Washington.
The Château Rauzan-Ségla would be named Second Grand Cru Classé in the famous 1855 classification for the Paris World's Fair. Becoming the property of Chanel in 1994, the vineyard of 70 hectares of vines is implanted on a terroir constituting an invaluable treasure. The soils are composed of fine, deep clay gravel, planted with 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The wines are aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 60% of which are new.
The Domaine produces a Second wine, Segla, that expresses itself nicely but with less depth than its older sibling.
Born of precision and passion in the vineyard as well as in the cellar, the wines of Château Rauzan-Ségla are of great finesse, structured, allowing the purity of the fruit to burst forth throughout the length.
Following the very selective lineage of the great Bordeaux vintages, 2018 is a play that is divided into two climatic acts: a mild and rainy spring, and a magnificent hot and dry summer that was very favorable to the good development of the vine's cycle. At harvest time, the ripening of the different grape varieties of the property was perfectly completed thanks to a very nice late season in September and October.
Blend of the 2018 vintage: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot.
The robe offers a magnificent color of a dark red and tinged with purple highlights.
The nose opens with a particularly aromatic bouquet of red and black fruits, crème de cassis and blackberry, gingerbread, violet and cocoa.
The attack is ample, and the wine evolves on a fleshy and wonderfully constructed matter thanks to very fine and elegant tannins. Delivering exquisite fruity flavors of black cherry and pepper, it finishes long and persistent. The perfect image of a great Margaux nectar.
Food and wine pairing:
Chateau Rauzan-Ségla 2018 would be a wonderful accompaniment to roast Pauillac suckling lamb, pepper-crusted beef tenderloin, wild boar leg confit, venison pie or duck breast with pinot noir sauce.
For a pairing with cheese, choose pressed and uncooked cheeses: cantal, old mimolette, morbier, saint-nectaire and tomme de Savoie.
For dessert, enjoy it with a black forest cake, a crispy coffee tart, or Ludovic Fontalirant's hazelnut tarts.
Cellaring potential and tasting:
Château Rauzan-Ségla 2018 is a great wine that can wait between 10 and 15 more years in the cellar to refine its potential, reaching its peak between 2033 and 2036.
However, it can be enjoyed now if properly prepared. To do so, take care to place the bottle the night before in the serving room at room temperature. Open it and decant it at least 4 to 5 hours before tasting.
The bottles will be kept in the cellar protected from light, lying down, at an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%.
