Château Rauzan-Ségla 2010

Bettane et Desseauve

La Revue du Vin de France

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

VertdeVin

The nose is aromatic and offers power (full of delicacy and control), deepness, intensity as well as a beautiful finesse of the grain and definition. It reveals notes of pulpy wild cassis, crushed strawberry and small notes of blueberry associated with small touches of crushed redcurrant, toasted, Madagascar pepper as well as hints of ripe violet plum, nutmeg, gravels (a saline side), fine hints of tobacco, saffron, sweet spices and a subtle hint of truffle. The palate is fruity, fresh, mineral, elegant and offers concentration, a beautiful definition (full of finesse), power (full of finesse), a fine grain, suavity as well as a small aerial side (in the approach), a good balance, elegance, power (full of delicacy), freshness, deepness and a small dark side. On the palate this wine expresses notes of ripe/Fresh wild blackberry, crushed cassis and small notes of quite ripe wild strawberry associated with touches of graphite, violet, camphor, violet plum as well as hints of mocha, sweet spices, Madagascar pepper, fine hints of tonka bean underwood/mushroom and toasted/caramelized oak. Good length. Tannins are precise, racy. A sapid and gourmand persistence.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Rauzan-Ségla is youthfully reticent and closed to begin, slowly unfurling to offer notions of underbrush, black truffles, smoked meats and tar over a core of baked black cherries, prunes and crème de cassis plus touches of iron ore and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, concentrated and jam-packed with savory/earthy fruit, it has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing with great length and expression. The blend this year is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, harvested between September 23rd and October 19th, at an average yield of 37 hectoliters per hectare. It was aged for 18 months in French oak, 60% new. The alcohol is 14%, and the pH is 3.52.

Jeb Dunnuck

A wine that could easily be mistaken for a First Growth, the 2010 Rauzan-Ségla is an incredibly powerful, full-bodied wine by this estate’s standards, yet it nevertheless holds onto a terrific sense of elegance as well as perfect balance. A huge nose of blackcurrants, smoked earth, tobacco, lead pencil, and spice give way to a concentrated, blockbuster styled Margaux that has thrilling depth of fruit, masses of ripe tannins, and great length and finesse on the finish. This brilliant wine is just now seemingly on the edge of its drink window and offers immense pleasure, yet it has another 30-40 years of life ahead of it. Along with the 2015 and 2016, it’s the greatest wine made at this estate in the past two decades.

James Suckling

There’s a wonderful deep and dark fruit to this second wine from Rauzan Segla, with hints of soft tannins. Lovely ripe fruit and a chocolate, light raisin at the end.