Château RAUZAN-SÉGLA - Magnum 1996
In Margaux, Château Rauzan-Ségla occupies one of the most renowned historic terroirs of the appellation, on deep gravelly ridges that offer the cabernet sauvignon particularly favorable conditions for slow ripening. Second Grand Cru Classé in 1855, the estate has a long history linked to the former Rauzan vineyard and has built an identity based on finesse, aromatic precision, and aging potential. Cabernet sauvignon forms the backbone of the wine, while merlot adds more flesh and suppleness to the mid-palate. Cabernet franc and petit verdot traditionally complete the blend with floral, spicy, and deeper nuances. The 1996 vintage belongs to the great cabernet years in Médoc, with remarkable ripeness and freshness that produced particularly structured wines. After three decades of evolution, this classic architecture now reveals great complexity, with widely softened tannins and a fully developed tertiary profile. The magnum format is a major asset for this vintage, slowing evolution and preserving more freshness and fruit than a 75 cl bottle kept under the same conditions.
Château Rauzan-Ségla 1996 is based on a blend dominated by cabernet sauvignon, mainly complemented by merlot as well as smaller proportions of cabernet franc and petit verdot. The cabernet provides the wine with its backbone, notes of blackcurrant, graphite, and cedar, while the merlot gradually rounds out the structure. Separate vinifications of the different plots preserve their personality before composing the final blend. Aging in French oak barrels then accompanies the material and refines tannins that are naturally firm in their youth. The vintage’s profile, more based on uprightness and freshness than on solar ripeness, has particularly well resisted time. In magnum, this evolution remains even more gradual and the wine can maintain remarkable cohesion between fruit, structure, and tertiary nuances. A perfectly preserved bottle is now in a phase of accomplished maturity while still retaining a real capacity to evolve.
The color shows a deep garnet with ruby and slightly tawny nuances, with often less pronounced evolution in magnum. The nose combines ripe blackcurrant, black plum, and cherry with notes of violet, cedar, and blond tobacco. With aeration, fine leather, undergrowth, licorice, sweet spices, and delicate truffle nuances gradually appear. The palate retains a beautiful backbone, but the tannins are now widely melted and offer a silky and refined texture. Persistent freshness maintains length and balances the flavors of evolved black fruits, tobacco, and graphite. The finish remains long and elegant, with this combination of dried flowers, spices, and mineral nuances that characterizes great mature Margaux. This magnum of Château Rauzan-Ségla 1996 will accompany roasted pigeon, beef fillet with cep mushrooms, rack of lamb, game birds, or refined cuisine around black truffle.
Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
