Château Rauzan-Ségla 2018

La Revue du Vin de France

Falstaff

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections and subtle brightening on the rim. Inviting, seductive bouquet with rose fragrance, dark forest fruits in the background, cassis notes, liquorice and noble wood. Juicy, complex, ripe cherry fruit, pleasant sweetness, silky, yet firm tannins, elegant structure and delicately savoury and salty on the finish. Light-footed despite all its power. Great ageing potential and a star of the vintage.

VertdeVin

The nose is fruity, elegant, racy and offers power (full of delicacy), intensity as well as a beautiful finesse of the grain and concentration. It reveals notes of ripe wild cassis, ripe strawberry and small notes of cuben pepper associated with touches of gravy minerality, small wild red fruits, tobacco as well as fine hints of powdered mocha, cardamom and toasted/toasted hazelnut. The palate is fruity, well-balanced, full of finesse, racy and offers minerality, an acidulous frame, a fine iodine hint (in the background), a beautiful definition as well as a beautiful fine/powdered grain, freshness, a beautiful guideline, a delicate/silky touch, a beautiful fruit and delicacy. On the palate this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy wild cassis, pulpy/juicy raspberry and small notes of chocolate associated with touches of minerality, small pulpy red fruits, cuben pepper, mild tobacco as well as subtle hint of almond, dark chocolate, toasted hazelnut, roasted and black pepper. Tannins are precise, fine and well-built. Good length.

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

A contender for the finest vintage of Rauzan Segla ever produced, the wine hits all the right notes starting with its complex perfume which is already showing off its lilacs, violets, tobacco leaf, forest floor, espresso and array of red and black fruits. On the palate, the wine really shines due to its depth of flavor, power, concentration, sensuous, elegant textures and its silk and velvet wrapped finish clocking in at 60 seconds, or more. Give it ten years or just a bit longer and this beauty will shine for 2-3 decades after that. The wine blends 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot 14% ABV.

Wine Enthusiast

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2018 Rauzan-Ségla is composed of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The wine has 14% alcohol, and it was aged for around 18 months in barriques, 65% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes galloping out of the glass with powerful, energetic scents of crushed black cherries, blackcurrant cordial and mulberries, plus suggestions of violets, star anise, chocolate mint and crushed rocks with a touch of tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with taut, muscular black fruit layers, supported by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with fantastic length and loads of earthy sparks. This is a thoroughbred Margaux, for sure, possessing amazing power in a very sleek, sophisticated package. Give it 5-7 years in bottle to unlock all those earth, floral and mineral nuances and drink it over the next 40 years or more. An incredible achievement that adeptly sidesteps the potentially overwhelming stamps of this extreme vintage. Bravo to Technical Director Nicolas Audebert and the team at Rauzan-Ségla!

“It was a tough year—a killer year,” began Technical Director Nicolas Audebert. “In fact, it was a disaster in June and July. We had a very hard time in the vineyard to try to balance things. The vineyard workers worked so hard during this time, to be sure to have volume without too much volume. The weather turned at the end of June, making the ripeness go very far and fast. The risk was to have too much concentration, density, etc.” When I questioned him about the yields at Rauzan-Ségla in 2018, Audebert replied, “Our yields were a bit lower than average, but we are extremely pleased with the balance we have at those yields. We came in at around 32 hectoliters per hectare.” There’s notably more Merlot in the Rauzan-Ségla blend this year—40% in 2018 as opposed to 36% in 2017, 30% in 2016 and 33% in 2015. “This year the Merlot has that density and juiciness we are looking for,” Audebert told me. “My top tanks are Merlot this year. People are saying forget Merlot because of climate change, but this year proves how great it can be. It should stay!” Rauzan-Ségla’s finished blend has been done for four months. My tasting sample was from one-year-old barriques.

Jeb Dunnuck

Reminding me of the 2016, the 2018 Château Rauzan-Segla reveals this beautifully fresh, complex bouquet that still has serious richness and depth. Based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised in 65% new barrels, it offers a dense purple hue to go with gorgeous notes of blackcurrants, spring flowers, cigar wrapper, and sandalwood. A quintessential Margaux with its spicy, complex, floral character, it's full-bodied and has a supple, elegant texture, no hard edges, a solid spine of acidity, and a great, great finish. This is a brilliant, heavenly 2018 to enjoy over the coming 30 years or more.

James Suckling

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.