CHATEAU RAUZAN-SEGLA 2eme Grand Cru Classe, Margaux 2020 Bottle

Description

This monumental wine is celebrated with 97 points from Vinous, revealing an explosive profile featuring black cherry, plum, chocolate, and licorice, enriched by smoke and incense. Antonio Galloni emphasizes its tremendous richness and brooding character, promising great purity and class for those with patience. The Wine Advocate closely follows with a 96-98+ point score, noting a complex bouquet of blackcurrant, stewed plums, and raspberry coulis, intertwined with notes of tar, menthol, and roses. James Suckling echoes this acclaim with 97-98 points, praising its full-bodied, layered texture with velvety tannins and a long finish. Jancis Robinson scores it 17.5 points, describing its floral aromatics, smooth palate, and fine balance, while Decanter comments on the power and intensity of the tannins. This wine has immense aging potential, with a drinking window from 2028 to 2060.

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Château Rauzan-Ségla is a prominent wine estate located in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux, classified as a 2ème Grand Cru Classé. Established in the mid-17th century, this estate spans approximately 57 hectares, predominantly planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Known for its elegance and finesse, Château Rauzan-Ségla produces wines that showcase a beautiful balance of ripe fruit flavours, floral notes, and well-integrated tannins. The terroir, characterised by gravelly soils, plays a crucial role in the wine's distinctive character. The estate has undergone significant improvements in viticulture and winemaking techniques, resulting in consistently high-quality wines that receive praise from critics. Château Rauzan-Ségla is celebrated for its ability to age gracefully, making it a favourite among collectors and enthusiasts of fine Bordeaux.

VINOUS 97 points
Drinking Window 2030 - 2060
From: Bordeaux 2020: Saving the Best for Last (Feb 2023)
The 2020 Rauzan-Ségla is a huge, explosive wine. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice, smoke and incense are some of the many notes that infuse the 2020 with tremendous richness. With élevage, the 2020 has grown into a huge, brooding wine endowed with notable presence. There's great purity and class here. The 2020 is a powerful, brooding Rauzan-Ségla for readers who can be patient. Very patient. Tasted two times. - By Antonio Galloni on December 2022

THE WINE ADVOCATE 96-98+ points
Drink Date: 2026 - 2056
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, 20th May 2021
Composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Rauzan-Ségla is aging for 18 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. It has an alcohol of 13.5% and a pH of 3.74. Deep purple-black colored, aromas of blackcurrant cordial, stewed red and black plums, chocolate-covered cherries and raspberry coulis erupt from the glass, leading to an undercurrent of tar, licorice, red roses and menthol, plus a hint of unsmoked cigars. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and yet manages seriously impressive intensity, which is well-sustained throughout the mid-palate and finish. Refined and refreshing, delivering beautifully soft, silt-like tannins and bags of bright red and black fruits, it finishes with amazing length and a stunning perfume. Between this and Château Canon, Nicolas Audebert and his team have knocked it out of the park this vintage.

JAMES SUCKLING 97-98 Points
7 May, 2021 – Full-bodied and layered with velvety layers of tannins that are beautifully interspersed with ripe fruit and dark-chocolate notes. Silky and lightly chewy texture. Very long, solid finish.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 96 points
This wine has a fine structure, with dense tannins from the Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. It is a full wine, the spicy character mingling with black currant flavors. The wine has an excellent future. Drink from 2027. — Roger Voss

DECANTER 96 points
Tasted by Jane Anson, Part of Best Margaux 2020 wines tasted en primeur
Tumeric and cumin spices alongside concentrated cassis and bilberry fruits, this has a powerful structure where the tannins layer up through the palate. There is no question that this is intense, and a reflection of the low yields of the vintage, but Rauzan Segla manages what it always does, which is to take the foot off the pedal at exactly the right moment, and allow the juice to come rushing in. The push and pull of muscular tannins and deft supple acidity gives an extra layer of success. Should be ready to drink a little earlier than the biggest years such as 2016 or 2019, but this will still age for decades. 1% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Harvest began September 8, a yield of 30hl/ha. 60% new oak. Tasted twice.
Drinking Window 2028 - 2044

JANCIS ROBINSON 17.5 points
Drink: 2028 - 2045
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Almost the same blend as last year. Perfumed violet, floral aroma with a hint of minty freshness. Smooth and spherical on attack then long and linear. Plentiful but finely honed tannins. Lovely poise and balance. A touch steelier than 2019 but clear potential. (JL)