Château Rauzan-Ségla 2022

As already seen en primeur, this Rauzan-Ségla shows plenty of florality, cassis, violets, raspberries—a goosebump-inducing, love-at-first-sniff aroma; on the palate it is dense and compact yet highly elegant, with sensational tannin quality, great tension, a saline finish, and exceptional length. Beyond any doubt, one of the best wines from Margaux.

The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla is showing well in bottle, unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with licorice, burning embers and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety, it's suave and seamless, with its dense core of fruit framed by powdery structuring tannins that lend a more evident backbone than it exhibited en primeur. As readers may remember, the 2022 is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot; and in 2022, the east-facing sides of the vines, which see the afternoon sun, were picked separately, along with anything that showed signs of stress.

This is dreamy, with deliciously juicy mulberry and blackberry purée flavors that stream through, carried by a vivid mix of iris, violet and anise, along with a long, well-embedded iron note. As this airs in the glass, it gains a caressing feel and greater depth, ending with a long echo of warm earth. Beautifully done. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2042.

Heady floral aromatics and vibrant black fruit. Gorgeous succulence and energy. It’s not shouting, not too high in acidity or too fleshy, but a great combination of plush and filling tannins, cool blue fruit, ripe red fruit, crystalline minerality and subtle spices. Smooth and clean, elegant and confident. Approachable with detail and finesse to the elements. Juicy, bright, clean, seductive, powerful, captivating – utterly satisfying.

The 2022 Rauzan Ségla has a complex bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, touches of violet and light Earl Grey, almost ash-like aromas, very engaging in style. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid black fruit, just a light touch of wild mint and fennel. Quite minerally in style, there is a liberal sprinkling of white pepper on the finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.

With a deep color, the wine embodies purity, elegance, and refinement. The initial notes of flowers, red and black fruits, cigar box, and cedar create an inviting aroma. The palate is where the wine truly shines; it is silky, intense, and somewhat reserved at this moment, showcasing both concentration and weightlessness. The seamless finish must be both felt and tasted. It is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, marking the highest percentage of Cabernet ever used in this blend. Drink from 2029-2065.

Dark ruby in colour with purple reflections, and a subtle ochre rim. On the nose, delicate herbal spice, red fruits of the forest, and nuances of tobacco. The palate has medium complexity, red cherry fruit, round, discreet tannins, and fine sweetness on the finish, balanced and accessible, gastronomic style, seems lean compared to En Primeur, was harvested relatively early, and lacks substance and length at the moment, already approachable and sweet, but originally clearly overrated. May be in a bottle shock stage, the future will tell. (25/1, +40, PM).

The flagship 2022 Château Rauzan-Ségla checks in as 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, all aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. It's much more focused and precise compared to the second wine and has brilliant aromatics of crème de cassis, crushed violets, graphite, and smoky oak. Gorgeously concentrated and full-bodied, with riveting purity and precision, this stunning Margaux has ripe yet building tannins, a terrific mid-palate, and flawless overall balance. I love it today yet 7-8 years of cellar are warranted and it will cruise over the following 3-4 decades in cold cellars. It's another sensational wine from this estate.

An accomplished wine that has been steered skilfully through ageing, and delivers the exceptional quality that it showed En Primeur. Cocoa bean, espresso, tar, ink, campfire, finesse, powerful but understated tannic architecture, cassis fruits laced with black tea, incense, graphite and peony. 50% new barrels, Nicolas Audebert director

So many layers of definition and depth in this bouquet, where tension and clarity are already perceptible. The fruit’s freshness and the density are impressive, as are the definition and the power. The wine is sapid, mouthwatering, compact, gourmand, and supported by silky tannins that lend both power and finesse. A masterpiece.

The nose is mineral and racy, with a lovely very fine grain, powerful and intense. It reveals notes of graphene, wild blackcurrant and, more discreetly, wild blackberry, combined with touches of concentrated wild strawberry, a hint of small wild red fruits, as well as a touch of grey pepper, fine hints of blond tobacco and a discreet hint of nutmeg. The palate is beautifully handled, juicy, fresh, supple and indulgent, with a fresh backbone, gourmandise, tension, a slight creaminess, all accurate and delicate with an airy quality to its silkiness. It expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackcurrant, creamy blackberry and, more lightly, touches of elegant roasted small red berries, combined with hints of violet, graphene, mocha, as well as nuances of iodized gravel and fine touches of lilac and infusion. A fine note of roasting on the finish. A wine beautifully led, silky gourmet, fresh, creamy with finesse and gourmandise. A hint of coffee is perceptible in the background.

Black color. A deep, expansive nose of black fruits and fresh fruit, with a light menthol note. Broad on the attack, supple at mid-palate, very aromatic, the wine unfolds more perfumed than usual. It finishes long, fleshy, refined, with meticulous tannins. It is both the most complete Rauzan Segla I know and also the most Margaux-like aromatically. Blend: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon (medium+), 26% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. Alcohol: 14.5% – pH: 3.7. Yield: 30 hl/ha. Estate converting to organic. Certification in 2024.

Aromas of blueberries and blackberries with walnuts and hints of tar that carry through to a medium- to full-bodied palate with plush, velvety tannins and a lovely, caressing mouthfeel. It tightens up on the finish. Extremely long, pure and structured. Classic blend: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. From organically grown grapes. Give this at least until after 2030 to open up and come around.

A subtle nose where silky fruit unfolds with delicacy. On the palate, the tannins caress with the softness of mohair. It’s the texture that captivates first—velvety and enveloping—then the radiant purity of the fruit and that invigorating saline sensation that elevate the whole. Simply delightful.

A fine balance between structure and fruit gives this wine a powerful richness. It has a textured complexity, a black chocolate aroma and ripe blueberry and dark red fruit flavors. Drink from 2028.