Chateau Rauzan Segla 1989
- Vintage
- 1989
- Country
- France
- Region
- Bordeaux,Margaux
- Size
- 750ml
- Rating
- WA90
- Grape
- Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot
At first disjointed and a bit diffuse, the 1989 Rauzan-Segla has turned itself around in bottle and is now an outstanding effort. The very forward nose of black fruits intermixed with Provencal herbs, underbrush, licorice, and new oak is followed by a medium to full-bodied wine with a roasted ripeness, silky tannins, and a long, lusty finish. The wine is showing exceptionally well and seems destined to drink, at least at this level of quality, for another decade. - WA90
The wines here have delighted many well-know figures, most famously Thomas Jefferson who came across this wine during his visit to the vineyards of Bordeaux, placing an order for several cases of it. He thus became a fervent admirer or Rauzan-Segla wines. Some decades later, the 1855 Classification ranked Chateau Rauzan-Segla as a Second Growth.
The current chateau was built in 1903, designed by architect Louis Garros, who drew inspiriation from the original Perigord-style buildings in the the chateau, as well as G. LeBreton who designed the park and green spaces. Then time went by and the chateau gradually fell into a slumber.
Then, CHANEL purchased Château Rauzan-Ségla in April 1994 and immediately started a full renovation programme. The vineyard has been drained – a 15-kilometer network is now in place, 2 parcels of Petit Verdot were planted and 3 hectares of vines were grafted over with Merlot. Today, 51 hectares are in production for an average total production of 200 000 bottles – Château Rauzan- Ségla and its second wine Ségla. The winery has been adapted and large vats progressively replaced by smaller capacities – matching the parcels' sizes. From the 2004 picking on, grapes will be sorted on two 10-meter long vibrating tables, so that each single berry is checked before entering the vats. Maturation cellars have been completely renovated and a new room built for the bottling-labelling machines – making Château Rauzan-Ségla fully independent for the entire production process.