2023 Chateau Rauzan-Segla - 2eme Cru Margaux

Decanter.com – 96 pts – GH: *Blue fruits, wax crayon on the nose, some soft floral notes, a little quiet aromatically. Intense and forward, this is bright and focussed, a little more velvety than Segla, this has a verticality but with a deep mid palate that really extends giving more of a feeling of controlled power. Certainly not shouting but this is very polished. Quite a serious take, more dark fruit, less lively crunchy red fruit, A great result with structure and volume. There's a balance between intensity and freshness but all delivered subtly and with class. More Margaux than some others in the vintage, soft tannins give a touch of voluptuousness. Touches of wet stone also linger on the finish. A lot to like here. Feels very Rauzan, very polished, a touch ‘less’ than 2022 of course, but this has great energy and a lot of drinkability. 3.61pH. 60% grand vin production.* - 04/2024

Falstaff Magazin – 96 pts – PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Nach kandierten Veilchen und Cassis, reife Herzkirschen, einladende, Mandarinenzesten, facettenreiches Bukett. Saftig, elegant, gute Fruchtsüße, feine Tannine, gute Frische, balanciert und lange anhaftend, ein toller Margaux mit Charakter und sicherem Zukunftspotenzial.* - 05/2024

Vinum Magazin – 96/100 pts: *85% Cabernet Sauvignon, der höchste Anteil seit je auch im Grand Vin; tief, floral, Rosenblüten, Kirschen, Cassis; am Gaumen dicht gebaut, vertikal, frisch, viel Druck und Spannung, knackig, saftig, Massen an Tanninen umgarnen die Frucht, salines Finale auf rote Beeren und Blutorangen. Einmal mehr ausgezeichnet, pure Eleganz!*

WeinWisser – 17/20 pts – GL, TW: *Feingliedriges, florales und schwarzbeeriges Bouquet, Flieder und Johannisbeernektar. Am saftigen Gaumen mit weicher Textur, engmaschigem Tannin, stützender Rasse und geradlinigem Körper. Im gebündelten Finale Schlehensaft und dunkle Mineralik. Ein seriöser Zweitwein.* – 04/2024

JancisRobinson.com – 17/20pts – JL: *85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5% Merlot and 1.5% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Reserved nose but plenty of depth. Generous fruit on the palate complemented by a firm but fine tannic frame. Reasonable persistence.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (96-98) pts – AG: *The 2023 Rauzan-Ségla is fabulous. Rich, dense and explosive, the 2023 soars out of the glass with captivating aromatics. Readers will find a vertical, deep Margaux endowed with tremendous character and nuance. All the elements are so well-balanced. Crushed rocks, plum, blood orange, spice and leather are some of the notes that explode into the finish. In 2023, the Grand Vin is distinctly red-fruited and vibrant. Rauzan-Ségla is one of the most memorable wines of the vintage. It was nothing short of stellar on the four occasions I tasted it.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (93-95) pts – NM: *The 2023 Rauzan-Ségla was picked from September 7 until 29 at 30hL/ha, matured in 55% new oak. It contains more Cabernet Sauvignon this year (85%) due to the mildew-affected Merlot being parsed out of the blend. This has a very aromatic bouquet of wilted violets, black cherries and hints of camphor, with a faint oyster shell note lingering in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. This is endowed with tension and purity, while a light marine influence imparts character. Armed with an energetic, spicy finish, this is a more classical Rauzan-Ségla that deserves five or six years in bottle. Even so, it already conveys an air of sophistication.* - 04/2024

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (96-98) pts – JL: *Dark in color, the array of floral notes shoot out with violets, lilacs, and roses. From there you find truffle, red and black fruits, cigar box and cedar also come IT is It is the striking nose powered by violets, and lilacs that gets the wine going, before finding all the currants, black cherries, mint, and spice in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is lush, energetic, long, deep, and rich. There is purity, paired with opulence in the long, vibrant, velvet-textured finish, with just a hint of chalk that appears on the backend. The wine is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. Once aging, this is a new, record-setting percentage of Cabernet in the blend. 14% Press wine. 13.5% ABV, 3.6 pH. The harvest took place September 7 - September 20. Yields were 30 hectoliters per hectare. The Grand Vin was produced from 50% of the harvest. Drink from 2029-2065.* - 05/2024