2015 Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux

Rauzan Ségla fully in its stride, fragrant peony and crushed rose petals that expand through the palate, just such a great expression of Cabernet at the 10 year point, coupled with a Margaux appellation signature, when the muscles and tannins turn toned and finessed, and the cassis fruit and raspberry leaf remain fragrant and juicy. Love it. 65% new oak, harvest September 10 to October 9, Nicolas Audebert just arrived from Cheval des Andes in this vintage.

Just like their sister property, Canon, 2015 was a monumental vintage for Rauzan-Ségla—one that capitalized on decades of investment in both vineyard and cellar to establish a new standard at the estate. It doesn’t hurt that 2015 is also a benchmark vintage for the Margaux appellation—something I’d call an under-the-radar secret if we hadn’t been broadcasting it so loudly for the past decade. Combine that vintage character with the fact that Rauzan-Ségla may well be the second most accomplished wine of Margaux’s 2015s (with a respectful nod to the First Growth in the neighborhood), and our current pricing—ten years on—is about as good as it gets. While I tend to think of Château Margaux as elegance personified and Palmer as a regal powerhouse, Rauzan-Ségla usually finds the middle ground: elegant but bold, Cabernet leading the charge, with refinement always at its core. This 2015 speaks beautifully to that profile, keeping that floral, dark-fruited signature fully intact. As Neal Martin wrote in his 10-year retrospective earlier this year, 2015 Rauzan-Ségla “probably represents one of the best values on the Left Bank.” I’ve been banging that drum for a while now, but it’s nice to hear it again. Pair that with a perfect-provenance parcel direct from Bordeaux, and you’ve got Margaux magic for a song.