CHÂTEAU RAUZAN-SÉGLA
2021 2ème Cru Classé Margaux
Representing around 44% of the estate's production (more or less as usual), the 2021 Rauzan-Ségla unwinds in the glass with aromas of minty cassis, blackberries, loamy soil, dark chocolate and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and impressively concentrated, it's layered and seamless, with a sweet core of fruit, powdery tannins, lively acids and an impressively penetrating finish. The Rauzan team opted to ferment Merlot rather cooler than normal this year to moderate extraction. Tasted six times. Rating: 93-95 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2022)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
75 Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 Merlot | 60% new oak | 13% alc | 3.72 pH | 38 hl/ha | 45% Grand Vin, 55% second wine Ségla and 5% is sold as generic Margaux This is a rare structured wine in 2021 with decent fruit weight and correspondingly strident oak. It is also a classy effort with assured balance and prodigious length. The density of flavour, the length and the layers of complexity are incredibly impressive for a Margaux, bearing in mind that this is a patchy commune at best in 2021. The challenge at Razan-Ségla was to maintain aromatics while preserving freshness, and judicious viticulture was required to either ‘clean’ or remove every bunch on every vine. Bit by bit, the vines cleaned up, and they seemingly realised that they were being looked after incredibly carefully by the viti-team, and the results are evident in the glass. In the 70ha property, they employed 30-40 staff (with even more brought in at specific moments), showing the commitment here. This colossal effort has paid off with one of the region’s most expressive and joyous wines. Rating: 18 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2022)
A clear step up from the Ségla, proving why in 2021 even with the best names and most accomplished winemakers, it pays to head to the 1st wines. This is excellent for the vintage, with sinewy-juice-filled blue and black fruits. Cabernet-dominant, fresh, well constructed, precise, you feel a slightly higher acidity than usual, giving a muscular, angular feel. As it opens cloves, cassis bud and rose stems appear. 60% new oak, well balanced, clear classicism and the alcohol level feels refreshing and restrained. Working with the vintage, a little shorter on the finish that the biggest vintages but this is easy to recommend. Tasted twice, 45% of overall production. A candidate for upscore in bottle. Drinking range: 2027 - 2042 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)
A firm and linear wine with crushed stone and some citrusy acidity, Medium body, creamy tannins and a fresh finish, Lively at the end. Currant, blackberry and fresh tobacco in the aftertaste. 75% cabernet sauvignon. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2022)
According to Nicolas Audebert, the 2021 Rauzan Ségla has a reduced proportion of Merlot, as a consequence of which it was felt that the Petit Verdot crowded out the final blend and was thus demoted to the Deuxième Vin. Matured in 60% new oak for an intended 18 months, it has a surprisingly opulent bouquet with conspicuous Merlot that has the hubris to vie for attention with the Cabernet. Very pure and well-defined, this gains intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very finely chiseled tannins, displaying disarming purity and poise. Minerally on the finish, with just the faintest hint of dark chocolate on the aftertaste. Precision, precision, precision. (13.0% alcohol) Drinking range: 2027 - 2060 Rating: 94-96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2022)
The 2021 Rauzan-Ségla is absolutely gorgeous. It offers up scents of graphite, savory herbs, licorice, chocolate and plum, all beautifully lifted by strong Cabernet Sauvignon inflections. Naturally, the 2021 doesn't have the mid-palate richness and overall intensity of recent years. Readers will find a tightly wound Margaux that balances classic structure with modern-day precision. I can't wait to see how it ages. Tasted four times. Drinking range: 2031 - 2051 Rating: 94-97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2022)
Château Rauzan-Ségla
Margaux Deuxième cru 1855 During the late 17th Century Pierre Desmezures de Rauzan gradually accumulated a sizable portfolio of vineyard property in Pauillac and Margaux. The Pauillac properties ended up, through his daughter's marriage into the Pichon family, as the two great Pichon châteaux (and a small parcel even ended up as part of Château Latour). The Margaux vineyards continued with the family name until 1792 when the Rauzan estate was split between two daughters, one who married Pierre Louis de Ségla and the other who was married to the Seigneur de Gassies. Both Rauzans were awarded 2nd Growth status in 1855, and for the remainder of the 19th Century Château Rauzan-Ségla was regarded as one of the leading Deuxième cru. Frédéric Cruse bought Rauzan-Ségla in 1903 and had the present château built, although the 54 years of Cruse family ownership saw the estate go into slow decline. Through the 1970's and into the 80's, however, much needed investment and renewal put Château Rauzan-Ségla back on the map. There are just over 50ha of vines spread between Margaux and Cantenac - 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and just 1% Cabernet Franc. The hand-harvested grapes are fremented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel before spending up to 20 months in oak (50%-60% new). For a long time the estate was spelt "Rausan-Ségla" but, in 1994, they reverted to the historical spelling with a "z".
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.