Castle Rauzan Ségla - Margaux 2011

Jamessuckling.com

93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe8/24/2016

A wine with a beautiful aromas and flavors of dark fruits, minerals and dried flowers. Full body, integrated tannins and a fresh finish. A little chewy but will soften with age. Better in 2017.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

88 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe8/31/2014

Saturated medium red.  Bright aromas and flavors of blackcurrant, plum, herbs and minerals offer good intensity and lift.  The moderately long finish is distinctly aromatic and spicy, showing lovely texture and smooth tannins.

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/2/2014

The grand vin, the 2011 Rauzan Segla, is a beauty. Aromas of spring flowers, graphite, creme de cassis and kirsch jump from the glass of this dense purple-colored 2011. Lots of nobility, complexity and richness characterize a wine that could be mistaken for a first-growth in 2011. This medium to full-bodied, concentrated, gorgeously pure, well-balanced beauty should be forgotten for 2-4 years and drunk over the following 15-20.  Kudos to administrator John Kolasa and his team.

Jamessuckling.com

93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/19/2014

A wine with a beautiful aromas and flavors of dark fruits, minerals and dried flowers. Full body, integrated tannins and a fresh finish. A little chewy but will soften with age. Better in 2017.      

Wine Spectator

89 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/11/2014

Solid, showing a slightly chewy edge to the core of plum coulis, blackberry paste and tobacco notes. The smoky finish features good density for the vintage, with a buried iron hint. Best from 2015 through 2020.

Wine Spectator

92 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/10/2014

Lush and frankly ripe, with alluring plum sauce, fig paste and currant confiture flavors, layered with dark cocoa and black tea notes. The long, velvety finish has some serious latent grip. An impressive effort for the vintage. Best from 2017 through 2028

La Revue du Vin de France

16-17 / 20

the5/31/2012

Le rendement global du millésime (27hl/ha) est l'un des plus bas de la décennie pour le cru. Le vin affiche une densité superbe et une matière dotée d'un beau moelleux et de beaucoup de gras. Sphérique, charnu, il remplit la bouche de belles saveurs fruitées. Une très belle réussite pour l'appellation.

Le Point

16 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/17/2012

Nez fruits noirs, bouche tannique, dense, vive, serrée, fraîche, tendue. O= 2018 G= 15 ans

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

86-89 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe5/12/2012

Inky, glass-staining purple. Graphite and minerals on the reticent nose and palate, with subdued black fruits in the background. This wine's fruit is trying to fight its way out from beneath the tannic shroud. It will need plenty of time to come around, but it remains to be seen if the fruit can hold out until the tannins begin to recede.

Decanter.com

18 / 20

the4/30/2012

Very good concentration of blackcurrant Cabernet fruit, lots of energy and vineyard length, a beautifully extracted wine with elegance and depth, classic Margaux. Drink 2016-2030.

Wine Advocate

91-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2012

Representing only 42% of the total vineyard production, the 2011 Rauzan Segla is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. The 2011 possesses some characteristics reminiscent of the estate’s fabulous 1986, both wines sharing great intensity, structure and formidable aging potential. Moreover, analytically, the 2011 has similar numbers to both the 2009 and 2010, which is remarkable given the overall weather conditions in Bordeaux during the 2011 growing season. The natural alcohol is 13% and the wine is full-bodied, but this 2011 will require patience as it needs a minimum of 5-6 years to become drinkable. It should keep for two decades or more. An unusually long harvest for this estate began on September 8 and finished on September 28. Hail that arrived on June 4 resulted in small yields of 20-28 hectoliters per hectare.

TAST

17-17,5 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2012

Richesse de constitution évidente, fruit généreux et noble, grain de tanin harmonieux, longueur et classe dignes de son classement et de son terroir.

Wein Wisser

18 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/30/2012

Tiefes Purpur, satt in der Mitte, Granatschimmer am Rand. Dunkle Beeren, fein und delikat im Ansatz, mehr nobel als duckvoll. Seigdiger Gaumen, sehr gut Balance, überzeugend reife Tannine, eine noble Schwarzschokobitterkeit im Extrakt zeigend, klingt lange nach. Das wird was! 2020-2044

The Wine Cellar Insider

92-93 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/27/2012

Blending 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, which is very similar to the blend used in 2010, the wine reached 13% alcohol, which is 1% less than last year. Deep ruby with purple accents in the color, the wine opens with flowers, while stone, blackberry liqueur and truffle scents are easy to find. Rich, round, medium/full-bodied with elegant textures, the wine finishes with fresh cassis, bitter chocolate and black raspberry. 92-93 Pts

Wine Advocate

91-93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/27/2012

A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot with 13% vin de presse, the Rauzan Segla was cropped between 8th and 28th September at just 28hl/ha caused by hail damage in early June. The nose is nicely defined with crisp blackberry with fine minerality, with hints of orange blossom emerging with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with silky smooth tannins, very cohesive with a pleasing sense of tension. This shows very satisfying purity and femininity with excellent persistency towards the finish. Excellent. Tasted April 2012

Asian Palate

90-92 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe4/20/2012

Rauzan-Segla has lovely freshness and good depth in 2011. True to its style, this year, Rauzan Segla is subtle, elegant and possesses great finesse. The tannins are velvety, polished and supple and there is enough concentration to suggest the wine will age well. The palate offers lovely floral and spice flavours and good depth of fruit. Well made wine that harmonises all of its components including its elevated tannins. Fairly long length.

Jancis Robinson

15,5 / 20

byJulia Harding MWthe4/19/2012

Drink 2017-2026
Bright black cherry colour. Black core. A little dustiness over the dark pure fruit. Pretty dusty on the palate too with tannins rather dry, very dry on the finish. (JH)

Wine Spectator

89-92 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/10/2012

Modern style, with a good fleshy feel and a nice smoky edge to the currant, fig and melted licorice notes. Stays velvety through the finish, with the flavors melding nicely.—J.M.

Wine Enthusiast

90-92 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/3/2012

Dense, with up-front tannins, this feels quite severe, with an austere, mineral character and a solid finish. —R.V

Jamessuckling.com

93-94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/1/2012

This is very racy and intense with a orange peel and stone character. Full and super lively on the palate with a long, long finish. Excellent. Only 27% of the production went into this. I like the punch at the end.