CHÂTEAU RAUZAN-SÉGLA

Aromas of crushed blackberries and blueberries with dried flowers and bark, following through to a full body with a tight and powerful palate of beautiful fruit and chewy yet polished tannins that are compressed and impressive. Extremely linear and intense. Muscular, in a toned way. Yet it opens in the mouth at you taste it. 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. Drink after 2025. Rating: 99 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)

Unquestionably in the same class as the 2016, the 2018 Rauzan-Ségla is magical stuff and plays in the top tier of the vintage. A rough blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 2% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot brought up in 65% new French oak, its deep purple color is followed by complex notes of sweet crème de cassis, cigar tobacco, crushed flowers, lead pencil shavings, and crushed rock-like minerality. Full-bodied, concentrated, and incredibly classic in style, it’s made in a style similar to the 2016 yet is slightly more elegant (possibly not as concentrated), with building structure, beautiful purity, and a great, great finish. Like most vintages from this estate today, it will drink beautifully in its youth yet easily evolve for 30 years or more. For the data-driven people out there, this beauty hit 13.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.68. You probably couldn’t have too much of this in the cellar. Rating: 96-98 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)

Barrel sample. Black core. Expressive cassis on the nose, just slightly herbal and very stony/mineral. This has real finesse on the palate, chalky and very fine texture. Dark, almost savoury restraint on the palate. Pretty dry on the finish but in balance with the power on the palate. Notable freshness in 2018. Needs time. Drinking range: 2025 - 2033 Rating: 16.5+ Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)

The 2018 Rauzan-Ségla is blended of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested from September 27 to October 11; Merlot from September 13-27; Cabernet Franc on September 28; and Petit Verdot from September 28-29. The wine has 14% alcohol and aging is anticipated to be 18 months in barriques, 65% new. Deep purple-black in color, it comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of warm plums, crème de cassis, Black Forest cake and candied violets with hints of mocha, Indian spices and fragrant earth plus a waft of crushed rocks. Full-bodied, multilayered and sporting a lot of freshness and tension in the mouth in spite of all its decadent perfumed black fruits, it has a firm, finely grained frame and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Seduction in a glass. Rating: 97-99 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)

This is one of the most structured and deep Rauzans I have tasted with a full body, layers of fruit and a firm and polished tannin backbone. Compact and composed. Such depth and power. 60 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 40 per cent merlot. Rating: 99-100 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)

Rauzan-Ségla is here proclaiming its right to be considered among the wines of the year in Margaux. In the Chanel stable, Canon has had the edge for me in the past few vintges, but here Rauzan Ségla comes roaring back with its mix of elegance and confidence matched by perfectly ripe, Cabernet-dominant fruit. There's a slightly higher percentage of Merlot than usual - partly because it was so good this year and partly because the concentration in the Cabernets took the yields down (a real feature of the vintage, they were at 32hl/ha here). The Merlot adds flesh through the mid-palate, which is followed by freshly crushed mint on the finish which adds precision and lift. Great quality. 3.8pH. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Drinking range: 2028 - 2042 Rating: 97 Jane Anson, Decanter (Mar 2019)