Château RAUZAN-SÉGLA 1996
In Margaux, Château Rauzan-Ségla occupies one of the most renowned historic terroirs of the appellation. A Second Growth classified in 1855, the estate is based on deep gravelly slopes that offer the Cabernet Sauvignon a particularly favorable environment for slow and steady ripening. Merlot complements this framework with more flesh, while Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot contribute to the overall complexity of the blend. The 1996 vintage belongs to a great Cabernet year in the Médoc, marked by remarkable ripeness and freshness that produced wines built for very long aging. Rauzan-Ségla then expresses a classic Margaux style, combining aromatic finesse, structure, and restraint rather than immediately demonstrative richness. After three decades in bottle, this architecture now takes on a particularly interesting dimension, with a greatly softened tannic framework and a fully developed tertiary palette. A well-preserved bottle can still offer remarkable coherence between evolved fruit, freshness, and depth.
Château Rauzan-Ségla 1996 is based on a blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, mainly complemented by Merlot and, in smaller proportions, by the other traditional grape varieties of the vineyard. Cabernet Sauvignon provides the wine with its backbone, notes of blackcurrant, graphite, and cedar, while Merlot adds more suppleness to the mid-palate. Vinifications are carried out plot by plot to preserve the personality of the different sectors before composing the final blend. Aging in French oak barrels then supports the structure and allows the tannins to slowly integrate. The 1996 vintage is distinguished by a straighter and fresher construction than the great sunny years, with acidity playing a decisive role in its aging potential. Time has now integrated the wood imprint and polished the initial structure. The wine is in an advanced maturity phase where aromatic complexity now prevails over the mere intensity of the fruit.
The color today shows a deep garnet with ruby nuances and slightly tiled on the rim. The nose combines ripe blackcurrant, black plum, and cherry with notes of violet, cedar, and blond tobacco. With aeration, undergrowth, fine leather, licorice, sweet spices, and delicate truffle nuances appear. The palate retains a beautiful framework, but the tannins are now largely melted and give the wine a silkier texture. Persistent freshness maintains length and perfectly balances the more evolved register of black fruits, tobacco, and graphite. The finish remains long, refined, and deeply Médocain, with an elegance particularly faithful to Margaux. Château Rauzan-Ségla 1996 will accompany roasted pigeon, beef fillet with cep mushrooms, rack of lamb, game birds, or refined cuisine centered around black truffle.
Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
