Dinner at 67PM. Somewhat light weight and lacking in depth. Quite average on the whole. Perhaps my expectations were too high. The second wine Segla 2009 was meaningfully better in my book. 2 years after the Wertheimer family acquired the estate so perhaps not enough time for the new team to make a mark on quality.
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This wine puzzles me with some bottles quite glorious and others quite austere despite a classic Margaux nose and palate with blackcurrant confit, cedar, dark chocolate and flowers. This wine had all this but was still quite austere with a well defined structure even after a prolonged spell in the decanter. Overall a delicious wine just needing a little more mid palate richness at least in this bottle.
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Developed nose with sous bois, dried mint, leather and dried black cherrry wrapped around a core of remaining fresh raspberry. Medium bodied with great acidity, partly resolved tannins and a long, earthy, savoury finish. Wouldn't wait much longer on this if you want to enjoy while some fresh fruit remains. While not very intense, the complexity and persistence on the finish are enjoyable.
WSET Notes:
Medium garnet.
Medium plus intensity on the nose with raspberry, black cherry, sous bois, dried mint, cedar, earth, tobacco, leather and dried black cherry. Fully developed.
Medium plus intensity and dry on the palate. Medium body, medium alcohol, hiigh acidity, medium plus tannins, long finish.
Drink now. Not suitable for ageing or further ageing.
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Medium ruby. Elegant pronounced nose of fresh black cherry, blackberry, raspberry, plum, mint, eucalyptus, rose petal and violet. Smoked cedar and well integrated vanilla. Leather, tobacco, wet leaves and forest floor. Dry and medium drying tannins. Good freshening acidity, low to medium alcohol and medium body. Long finish, plenty of time still in hand, very nice indeed
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Earthy cassis bouquet, very Bordelaise. The palate shows age but is very much intact, cassis, cedar, tobacco and brambly character. Moist forest floor, which deprives this of some its purity, albeit clean profile as a whole. Resolved quit firm tannins beautifully outlived by the fruit, gorgeous 1996 Left Bank acidity. Elegant but probably not the most sophisticated presentation, nevertheless excellent and in a great place. Agreed, all this warrants 93 Papies points. Not exactly feminine and fragrant, which shows how Margaux has several different types of soils and microclimates making it a diverse area with various types of wines.
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Pretty much identical observations compared to my previous note. Lovely nose, but a little thin and not totally harmonious on the palate. Slowly drink up. 91-93
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We have had this wine a few times in the last 10 years ( Papies 92-93) and this was another consistent (and the best one so far ) performance of what beautiful wines were made in 1996 in the left bank. Elegant , mild yet with presence, well evolved, soft earth and herby touch. Effortlessly beautiful wine . 93-95 easy and with a lot of life ahead. Unfortunately our last bottle but am sure we will buy more
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Wonderful nose - open, generous, notes of leather, sweet fruit, tobacco, graphite, spices, leather. On the palate not quite as impressive. Good fruit still, soft and open. The acidity is a little harsh, there is a little dryness towards the finish. Medium depth and length. Slowly drink up. 91-93
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Blackcurrant with leather coming through and once again like the 2006, on this particular evening, this RS was somewhat muted.. like a stallion ?? waiting to come out of its blocks! RS is a Second Growth or Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe in 1855, and we were privileged to enjoy a 25 year old Wine on the special occasion of Js birthday at Beast along Batai ???? On another occasion this RS would demonstrate more floral notes with a longer finish too.. Cheers!
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Classic Margaux nose - elegant, perfumed, with ripe black currant, truffle, cigar wrapper and wet earth. Medium bodied, long on the finish neither jubilant nor austere, which puts it in classic territory for me. Lovey balance, no astringency. An excellent claret. Punches a bit above its weight.
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Beautiful wine. Second time having this bottle. Turned out to be very good. Still holding its own. Probably drinking at peak. Still has an abundance of food. Tell-tale Margaux nose and drank beautifully through the course of lunch. Will miss it.
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Mid brick red. A fairly evolved nose (almost balsamic volatility?)" faecal, with dry forest undergrowth, feral, leather desk, some tobacco, black fruits, tilled soil, cedar wood and a hint of dried herbs. Medium bodied with a lively lemon acid, clear cedar wood and obvious maturity, hints of spice, more dried black fruits with fine yet slightly puckering tannins. Iron note appears later. There is a bit of sweetness and fatness in the mid palate and some bitter 85% chocolate but seems to be going nowhere. Drink up. Looking back on my notes, I wonder whether my last bottle was slightly scalped?
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PNP followed over the night. This was delightful for the first five hours, elegant body, with lovely floral notes and red and black fruit, fresh and soft tannins. Wet earth and truffles. After 4-5 hours the fruit faded and this became more austere. Bottle was from auction. Update: came back into balance at the end of the night, interesting to see the evolution, overall a classic Margaux.
I'd guess this is in its prime now, its definitely got a balanace between primary and teritary notes - with some miles to go before it hits a very mature phase. Deep garnet, no sign of bricking on the rim.
Lovely.
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Mid+ mahogany to bricking red rim. A very tertiary bouquet filled with undergrowth, autumn leaves and leather polish. It seems far more mature than I expected, almost a little over-developed. As the wine opened there is pressed rose petals, bouquet garni, tobacco leaves and dried figs. Medium weight with a noted acidic streak, quite leathery, dry, chewy tannins with distinct tertiary characters reflecting the nose. There is a flutter of black fruit, gentle spice and dried herbs but it certainly feels frail—more a lightweight claret and shorter than expected. Drink up. Still have two more bottles!
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Decanted for 1 hour to start. Muted nose of dried flowers, mixed with soy and old books.. Still plenty of verve, fading but still pure red fruit, mostly resolved chalky tannins, and acid holding strong. Fairly delicate and verging on lean, though there’s still hints of the sinewy structure that it once had. Gentle tertiary notes - soy, leather, mushroom, along with some rose/violet florals. Just a whisper of brett- enough to add lift.
4 hours in, black fruits have pushed to the fore, causing the tertiary notes to recede a bit. The overall effect is added freshness and depth to the mix. Probably just past peak but should hold for many years - a lovely and old school left bank wine.
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Dinner at Kai Garden. No notes. Dark purple. Elegant. Lively, no sign of decline. Generously fruited and well balanced. Lives up to the reputation of the vintage.
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Tons of wet earthy, black truffles, some leather and blue berries as the dominant fruit character. Palate maybe a bit thin, but with good acidity and structural tannins. Good amount of fruit here too. Improving by the minute in the glass / decanter revealing a more refined fruit, becoming more red. Second bottle in a short while and again confirming my previous impression: This is in an amazing spot right now.
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The 1996 Rausan Segla is a surprisingly muscular, bold wine yet the rich currant, cedar, loam, mineral character is balanced by an unmistakable, delicate violet touch. With a rich palate but unintegrated tannin, I should think these would be best kept for a few years more before digging in. 92-93
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Classic bordeaux. Cigar box, leather, some earth, leaning to the red fruit side, although some nice cassis mixed in. Color light garnet with just a bit of bricking at the edge. Elegant in its way, but a leaner build like some other '96s I've had. In a great drinking spot, but enough of everything that this will hold for many more years.
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30 min decant. Leather, barnyard, black tea, still fresh fruit, dried herbs, graphite and ashes, marginal imbalance on the palate, but still reasonably fresh. A bit thin. A great, classic Bordeaux nose potentially 95+, but palate can‘t keep up (more like 92). This is probabaly as good as as it gets, best to drink up. Tasted next to the 2016 which will likely evolve into more of a beauty. Having said that, both pale against the 2018 barrel sample I had!
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Initially this wine seemed closed and hard edged but 24hrs slow-ox at 14C changed it completely to a wine of deep red colour with a lovely classical nose of blackcurrants, dark plums, dark chocolate and white flowers. The palate is medium weight with terrific texture and layers of complex fruit leading to a fine tannic finish that is well balanced if not especially long. The richness of the fruit surprises after the initial impression and certainly stands out as the defining character in addition to the typical Rauzan structure.
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I thought this was rather nice. I would rate better than I did last time. The colour was good, no sign of bricking quite bright. The nose still had plenty of fruit. The taste was complex with soft overtones. everyone liked it. My way of thinking better than some of the first growths of the same year
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9/15, vg cork - abt 10% soaked. Decanted 1 hr. Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim - just a touch of mahogany. Moderately intense nose - red fruit, soil, spice, becoming gravelly. Medium bodied, red and also some darker fruit notes on the palate, gravelly mineral, soft tannins, an elegant middleweight with just a touch of sharpness on a good length finish. Perhaps not quite the best bottle of this?
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One of the better Rauzan-Segla’s of the rather feeble period for the estate from the 70’s through the ‘90’s. Lean and sinewy with nice black fruit if less than optimally ripe with crisp acidity and a grippy finish. Quite elegant and silky without much complexity on the finish. Nice claret but what they are doing at the estate today seems miles better to me.
Beautiful wine. Classic Bordeaux and classic Margaux. Decanted for about an hour before first taste and but even though it improved through the night it was ready to go from the start. Ruby with mild bricking to the edge. Still incredibly youthful feeling. Nose of sweet fruit, leather and game. The barnyard is a little less upfront on the palate and the bright but dark fruit really takes over, sending the earthy notes to the background. If you are a fan of old school Bordeaux, this wine will make you very happy now and for decades to come.
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Love this wine. I am a fan of Rauzan Segla. Amazing colour with bricking at the edges. Sweet cassis, black fruits, truffle, gamey, smoke, earthy nose, violets, sweet flowers, classic Margaux. In keeping with other Rauzan Seglas I have tried. That sweet Margaux scent is definitely there and is something that really appeals to me. Must say that the 2000 is better than the 1996 but this wine is no slouch too. Very fragrant bouquet. What I like from Rauzan Segla. Slightly thin on the mid palate. But with food (e.g. roast lamb). This shortcoming goes away. Needs roast lamb I would say. Complements each other really well. Savoury palate with a touch of salinity. Perfectly judged acidity. Long and satisfying finish. An extremely elegant wine. Would recommend. There was initially quite a lot of farmyard funk that goes away with decanting so that is what I will suggest to anyone that's opening one soon. 1 hour minimum. A wine that you do not want it to end.
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One month since we tried this last and had a followup bottle. Very consistent maybe a touch less giving hence the 92 now vs 93 then. Required decanting and a bit of patience but will not disappoint.
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We always say this wine will put a smile on any classic bdx lovers face and indeed this remains the case. Requires some decanting, we double decanted for 30 minutes and really helps develop the wine. Classic, elegant, open nose, leather, cedar, light pepper. Still good fruit and the wine is healthy and very much alive. This is now drinking at optimum in our view and is a buy on sight wine. 93
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Will put a smile to every classic Bordeaux lover's face from the pop of the cork. We double decanted which helps at palate level as the nose is open from the start. On the secondary front but still with vitality, good level of fruit and firm but round tannin. This is now at peak but did feel like it has lots of of life in it and its really joyful now. Solid 93.
This was a good wine but not spectacular. The Colour was good-deep red. The nose a bit closed. The balance was ideal. The taste dark red fruit, quite strong, good with duck confit, reasonable length but not memorable. Hence I don’t give it quite what others do.
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The wine has a garnet color with some bricking and there is moderate sediment in the bottle.
On the nose at PnP, the wine presents primary aromas of blackberry, black currant (cassis), fig, prune and plum, with secondary aromas of leather and smoke.
On the palate the wine presents a brighter profile with red cherry and strawberry followed by plum and fig, finishing to earth and leather with some tannins still present.
Over the evening the wine tended to develop toward towards the fig, plum, earth and leather taste profile.
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Excellent wine. Surprisingly so little decay in the colour and still very lively in taste. Elegant but good red/black fruit with a little earthiness and dry spice. Nice balance of tautness and roundedness. Pleasurable!!
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A very good wine overall, but lacked some of the exotic, charming elements I have come to enjoy with this vintage of RS. Medium ruby color. A clean, focused nose of black currant, blackberry, cedar, tobacco, and toasted coffee. Linear and straightforward on the palate. Very nicely balanced, with smooth, silky tannins. Medium length finish. This bottle was a bit concerning, as I'm not sure if this wine has already hit its peak, given its current trajectory. There's no reason not to open this now.
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Still going quite strong, so if properly stored is definitely not over the hill in my view. That said, doesn't seem to have great complexity. A pleasant 21 yr old
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Wonderful. A lovely garnet colored wine with hints of orange on the edge from Margaux and drinking oh so well right now. Was great from the pour, but we decanted for several hours (for sediment purposes as well). Wine improved and opened up considerably over the 3 hours we drank it with wonderfully stinky cheese and meats. With a nice perfumed nose of flowers and leather and grass. The flavors of cherry, tobacco, leather, chocolate, with a small amount of barnyard. Despite its medium body, it did have a long finish with very well-rounded tannins and slight acidity.
Interesting. Thinner and more acidic than expected, though not at all a bad thing. Nose is dusty but has a Touch ID heat. Palate is light red fruits - tart pie cherry, rhubarb - but with enough dank and structure to keep it from being too one-dimensional. It's not nearly as complex as I'd hoped, and I think it's kinda over the hill in all honesty, but it's still a pleasant wine and I wouldn't kick it outta bed for eating crackers.
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Dekantert 30 min. En studie i solbær og sedertre. Etterhvert noe fiken og blyantkvess. Fløyelsmyk munnfølelse med mørke bær og noe mocca. Pent nedslipte tanniner og god syre som backer opp. God lengde. Begynnende moden, men ingen hast.
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Drank at Kittle House last nite. Decanted at home for one hour+. Fairly generous nose of black fruit, coffee and dried leaves. Medium bodied, tannins are fully resolved leaving a pretty elegant, charming mature margaux. This wine has peaked. Not a particularly powerful or highly structured wine, and not much fruit remains-though there are notes of black fruit/cassis--but it exudes lots of coffee/espresso, tobacco, graphite and earth. Nice gentle, fairly long finish. Very enjoyable and a prime example of a well-aged Margaux, if not particularly memorable.
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Luxurious bouquet with cassis and other dark forest fruits, graphite and butterscotch. On the palate dark forest fruits, caramel and butterscotch, some soft coffee, beautiful acidity and round tannin. Beautiful wine which is fully mature now and which can last a few more years as well… Scores 94 because of its perfect drinking moment.
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Drank this after a 88 Mouton one of my guests was kind enough to bring. Thus the differences became clear. Out of a series of 96s that I tasted in the last few weeks this seemed to be the weakest. Obviously less opulent nose than the Mouton. I'd call it elegant, ripe flowers were there. Palate was rather lean. No signs of age, though. Tannins have almost all resolved. A very fine, classic Bordeaux, though it doesn't have the power of some in its vintage.
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Mag, last wine of the night, clearly younger and with more reserves than Cos 1994 but not "better" in my opinion, classic margaux with some more years to go
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Dark ruby. Super-bretty, with stewed bell peppers and light dried fruits. On the palate, dark cassis notes, elevated acid, elevated alcohol, and moderate tannins.
Guess: Based on the structure and slightly thin palate, I'm guessing this is Margaux, 2006. actual: 1996 Margaux (my vintage call was way off!).
Overall: A bit bretty, but nice! Score: 8.5-9.
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It has very nice aged (cigar box) character, brings Victorian club land images to mind, it's that sort of classic wine. But it's very dry, the fruit is fading faster than the oak. Pity.
Drink now.
12.5% ABV, sealed with cork.
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BDX WIMPS event held at London's La Trompette. Initially served too cold. Resisted the temptation to imbibe until it warmed up in the glass. Classic nose of pencil lead and blackcurrants. Mid-weight, fine tannins, refined and reserved. An elegant wine.
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Drank over 3 hours. Tasty and open right out of the blocks. Lovely nose of tobacco and cassis. Strong fruit core is delicious and still seems young but tannins are integrated nicely. Great balance. Really worked well with a sous vide ribeye. Drinking nicely, but a long life ahead.
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An impressive wine from Margaux, drinking very well right now. Can definitely PnP, but the wine improved and opened up considerably over 2 hours. Very nice perfumed nose. The nose and palate both exhibited dark plum, cherry, tobacco, dark chocolate, black tea leaf, and a hint of barnyard that tapered off. Long finish. Round tannins and well-balanced acidity on the finish. This wine has a long life ahead of it, probably 15-20 years. Drink or hold.
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Rusty-brown color. Lots of rich dark fruit (plum, blackberry) on the nose, along with tobacco notes and a hint of eucalyptus. On the palate, red fruit (cherry), dusty earth, and graphite. Medium-bodied, lovely acidity, and subtle tannins - a very well balanced wine. Drinking very well right out of the bottle (no need to decant). Several years to go on this one.
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What a great surprise. Found this in my cellar when looking for some other wine. The last bottle I drank was too young, probably 4 years ago. But now it is in great shape. Leather, tobacco, berries. Great warmth and somewhere between classic Bordeaux power and pure elegance, but hey, it is a Margaux. Only 3 more bottles left, as soon as I see a good deal I will buy some more bottles.
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mature Bordeaux wine evening (The Traklin Wine-Bistro): dark colour wonderful tertiary aromas with notes of truffle, tobacco, fresh blackberry and earthy hints medium/full bodied, an old school, classic style, lack complexity, still quite enjoyable.
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The 1996 Château Rauzan-Ségla is medium garnet in colour with a nose of sweet, perfumed cedar and rosewood alongside some stewed prunes and plums, sweet dried cherries, slight rosemary and dried tabacco leaves.
On the palate, the wine enters with dusty rosewood and stewed fruits before progressing to some herbs. Nonetheless, there's a consistent dustiness from the start to the finish. Tannins are rather resolved and powdery/chalky in texture. The wine ends on a medium finish. There's some quality and style in the wine with good class. Well made, soft but pretty persistent.
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No formal note but this was on top form, with nice mature fruit, notes of tobacco and earth, tannins seamless, nice fresh acidity and a very good length finish. Excellent, drinking well but no hurry.
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The nose is deep, complex and a real winner. The palate is not, it seems austere and needs to soften. We were thinking that it may need more time, but then it didn't really improve during the 2 hours it was in front of me.
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My wine of the night by a decent margin. I really love wines that are somewhere between 10 and 20 years old. 15 yrs seems to be the sweet spot for a wine to show its potential depth and yet, maintain vibrant freshness. This wine, at age 17, was in that exact spot. Balanced, with fruit plus classic BDX flavors. Great nose. Loved it! This should be in MY prime drinking window for another 5yrs.
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Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (Porter Creek, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color, no bricking. Slo-O for 4 hours and decanted for about 1 hr before decanting back into the bottle. Drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. This had a wow nose that I found blossomed after 15 minutes and continued to evolve. Classic Margaux perfume of leather, sandalwood, violets, earth, cedarbox, truffle, dark fruits of cassis and cherry. The palate was elegant with ample texture and dark fruits of cassis, cherry and raspberry, leather, earth, graphite, and spice. Medium-full bodied, feminine, complex, balanced, and an enchanting long finish. Another example of why I love this vintage in Bordeaux.
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Drank just after '96 Beychevelle which was terrific. This was also excellent and a good contrast of terroir with the Margaux perfume and delicacy showing through. Deep ruby. Red currant and raspberry fruit with floral aspect to the nose. Structured but soft palate with graphite and almost a touch of sweetness to the fruit. Very good. Preferred the Beychevelle, but only just, and table was split.
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I have enjoyed all my bottles of this wine, one of my favourites from the vintage. This bottle was probably not at the level of others but still showing nice evolution and depth. Medium bodied, deep crimson with a lovely lifted fruity /cedary nose. Palate was not quite as integrated and smooth as expected based on previous experience, a bit angular perhaps, but still very enjoyable.
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My Birthaday Party: Family, Friends, Food and Wine !!! (My home): No real notes taken. The wine is still deep red. Nose of berries and licorice. It is very balanced, elegant and long. This is my second time I am tasting this wine and I always love it. For me type of a 1996 sleeper. Drink now - 2030
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Decanted 1/2 an hour. Medium garnet core, pale garnet rim. Perfumed nose, showing mature plum and blackcurrant fruit, spice, floral notes. On the palate this displays a core of sweet plum and blackcurrant fruit, cedar, just a touch of bloody meat and smoke, soft tannins, then fresh acidity carrying a very good length, harmonious finish. Certainly elegant and refined rather than a powerful blockbuster, but none the worse for that. Drinking well.
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Truffle, tobacco, fresh picked blackberry and earthy notes open to a medium/full bodied wine that hovers on the austere, or should I say, classic side of the style range. With 3 hours of air, the wine softened, and developed aromatic complexities, but it remained an old school, classic style that could use a bit more charm. It's not about the quality, it's about the style. Either give it another 5 years of bottle age, or 3-4 hours of air, if you're thinking of popping a cork.
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Very, very good, excellent, mature Margaux! Drinking lovely right now. Stable, barnyard, leather, tobacco and flowers. Very balanced, with beautiful concentrated fruit and the 1996 signature acidity. In a great drinking window right now, giving away waves of pleasure. Very pure and transparent. A loooong and very elegant finish!
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The nose carried the day here. Wonderful bouquet right out of the gate with nice cassis and tobacco and wonderful floral undercurrent. On the palate, it was balanced but also seemed to be flagging a bit, with some rustic flavors and textures showing through. Overall a solid Margaux that went well with my wife's lamb stew.
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Decanted for 4 hours and rebottled. The nose had lots of cassis with a distinct floral element and some leather. Medium bodied and very smooth in the mouth. Beautiful blackcurrent and plum fruit with a core of sweetness. Classic notes of cigar box, leather and earth.25 second finish with smooth tannins. Not a powerhouse but a very refined and elegant wine which was a pleasure to drink. Excellent wine with plenty of life left in it.
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Drank at our dinner party last nite and had this, compared with a 99 Palmer, with our roast duck. I decanted the wine for several hours before dinner, knowing that this wine needs it to open up sufficiently, and it did the job. A light to medium red hue to the wine, and I did not see much evidence, if any, of bricking along the edges. The wine had a very fragrant nose of flowers and raspberries. Medium bodied with excellent acidity, pleasant tannins and nice minerality, the palate revealed lots of lead pencil and graphite, with copious amounts of cassis and perhaps blackberries on the attack. Very long finish. A very structured, elegant wine that, even after several hours decanting, seemed to be holding back some of its intensity. I almost regret drinking it now because this wine is still quite youthful, and my guess is that, in another 5-10 years, it will be even better than it was last nite. An excellent, if somewhat understated stunner. Wine of the night! (among 99 Palmer, 99 Mouton, 88 Le Bon Pasteur, 99 Tertre Roteboeuf and 88 Yquem--maybe a tie with the Yquem...)
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Notes of florals and red currants, with subtle spice and forest undertones. Light-bodied, with subtle red fruit flavors on the palate, though it seems tired and dried out.
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Decanted for about 1.5hrs and it helps mellow the wine. The nose is open from start. Also quite a bit of fine sediment. The colour shows the age with bricking on the rim but the core is glossy. On the nose it is classical matured left bank bordeaux with lots of eathy notes, fruit is there. REally open and long on the nose.Secondary. On the palate it is still very much alive and long, tannins mellowed post decanting and its drinking really nicely at the moment. Good life ahead too. 93
Another beautiful 1996 left bank bordeaux. We have begun trying more and more of the low parker rated 96s ( Talbot etc) and these are great drinkers now and in decent prices especially vs their En Primeur siblings.
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rich terroir -- dirt, horse/leather, brambles that opened up and softened over the 2-hr meal. Made the thick, juicy filet taste even better and matched with bernaise sauce quite well.
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This weeks surprise ! Color still dark crimson with great clarity - some softening at the edge. Beautiful Margaux nose of blackcurrants, plums, dark chocolate and white flowers. Much more giving than previous bottles. Palate medium weight with beautiful texture and balance leading to fine tannins and great length. Rich fruit character defines the first impression. The real surprise is the maturation of the drying tannins obvious at tastings 2 years ago. Delicious Margaux !
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Light ruby red with brownish hue. this has pretty much developed, caramel, creme de cassis, pencil shaving, earth and violet. Soft, lush with underling tannic structured. Good concentration of fruits, tobacco, sous bois and mushroom for the mid palate sap and depth. The medium length finish is still fresh and intense with mineral, savory and plummy aftertaste. Good but not great.
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Auction bottle held 1 year. Great cork. Decanted 3 hours, and still seems not quite enough, judging from the expansive glass 2 hours later. Dark red, medium bodied, firm, tannic and still pulled tight like a drum, developing only after much patience. Then it hits hard and strong. These are 20 year holds, these Rauzan Seglas. Having loved the 09 and 10 at Primeur, cannot imagine drinking those before 2030. And by then maybe this 1996 will peak. Wait.
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Stewed cherries, red flowers, liqourice, perfumed nose. Very pretty wine, cassis and raspberry, some blackberries and fruitcake on the finish. Freshly balanced and excellent drinking wine
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Charity Event for Lee Ah Mooi Old Aged Home (My Little Spanish Place): I thought this was really excellent - yet another example of just how good 1996 was on the left-bank. It had a knockout nose, completely bursting with Margaux goodness. Here there were lush aromas of loamy earth, whiffs of cigar smoke and a little lift of sweet wood spices ringed around a core of ripe cassis and red cherry notes, along with a touch of violets peeking out from behind. Really pretty stuff. Palate was beautiful too. This had everything I like in 1996 left-banks - pure, transparent cassis fruit, lovely fleshy sappiness, finely detailed tannins, beautiful fresh balance - all soft and supple yet with no lack of structure, this was just delicious. At the back-palate, a lovely long finish lingered away with licks of very Margaux spice, smoke and tobacco. Beautiful. At a nice place for drinking now, especially with a nice cut of meat, but I can imagine that this will be a tremendously good wine in another 2 to 3 years. This would have been superb value upon release. Pity how high the prices have climbed year-on-year since the Chanel takeover.
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Great texture and balance. Soft and supple with a rich core of dark fruit showing blackberry, coffee and cedar. Very earthy as well and tannins prominent but quite fine, ripe and well integrated. Medium bodied but generous and while a lovely drink now, will be better again in 5 years.
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Ch Rauzan-Segla is a reliable Margaux, displaying strong barnyard, earthy, "le poo poo" smells right out of the bottle. But over the next hour, the wine opened up to tastes of blackberries, a little tobacco, and rich dirt, echoing softer smells too. An excellent, rich, reasonably balanced finish but there are still plenty of tannins in the bottle, suggesting another 5-10 good years.
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Licorice and coffee notes. Great core of fruit with very fine but persistent tannins. Good length too. Every once in a while a whiff of violets. Beautiful wine, just kept evolving.
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earthy and vegetal notes upon pulling cork. deep red with slight brick edge (shows more bricking than 1995 side-by side). After 45-60 minutes nose is quite reserved but vegetal notes are gone. very earthy with faint dark cherry/blackberry scent. light to medium on palette, concentrated dark fruits, some acidity, soft tannins. Pleasant finish is of medium length (30 sec). Wine gains density and weight after 3-4 hours with much deeper leather and tobacco flavor. Very similar to 1995 at this point. Finish has lengthened nicely.After 4 hours side by side with the 1995 we would give the edge to the 1995 but only by a bit. Just opened case bought as Future. Delicious with prime NY strip.
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Auction bottle, held a couple months. Perfect cork. Left open three hours, shared over three more. Purple and young. Better and better every hour, overcoming a tight and constricted start, big dark fruit emerging on a leather and cedar core. Very long finish, well balanced. An Auction bargain right now, with 5-10 more years. Very nice bottle.
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Popped, sat for an hour, and poured at local BYOB. Still dark purple with no sign of maturity. Nice nose of cassis, blueberry and hint of lilac. Really nice palate of blackberry, plum, earth and leather. Balanced and smooth with beautiful length and finish. Not a hint of tannin. Wish I had more. A very gulpable wine.
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Had this a while ago and forgot to put it in. I rember that the bottle still has a lot of life left in it. Casis, earth and cede with a little bit of funk. Drinking well now with a decant but I would hold for a few years.
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Magnificent nose - violets, purple berries and hints of cloves and plums. Very smooth and silky on the palate, with a full mid-palate and medium length. Drinking very well now.
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Medium/deep ruby core, bright pale garnet rim. Sweet black-fruited nose, notes of gravelly minerals and spice, hint of bloody meat. Medium bodied on the palate, red and black berry fruit on the initial attack, notes of gravelly minerals, good (if not huge) depth, silky and really very elegant, fully integrated tannins, nice fresh acidity carries a good length, lingering harmonious finish. No tightness/firmness here, drinking really well.
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No formal note. Attractive cassis and gravelly mineral nose, some spice and floral notes. Medium bodied on the palate, fresh acidity, this bottle a little tight and firm on the finish.
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Medium/deep ruby, medium pale ruby rim. Medium intense, slightly creamy cassis and bilberry fruit, minerals, floral notes. Medium bodied, pure cassis fruit, some red berry notes coming through, gravelly minerals, very fine tannins, becoming quite silky on the mid-palate, beautiful, vibrant acidity carries a lingering finish with just a hint of savoury meatiness. Lovely, elegant, feminine Margaux drinking really well but absolutely no hurry.
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From a 375ml bottle. Expressive nose made up of blackberry, leather and a hint of earth and smoke. Good structure starting powerfully on the palate with red fruit and balanced acidity leading to a more elegant finish with some mocha and vanilla. Still tannic but the wine carries it with ease. Very nice.
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From a 375 ml bottle. Deep purple-red color. Bouquet of violets, juicy red fruits, a whiff of Hawaiian Punch, menthol and rubber. Medium bodied with a big, juicy mid-palate leading to a complex, minerally finish that lingers for a bit. Fine tannins appear on the finish that are dry and chalky. This is lovely and very elegant. [93-94]
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Medium/deep ruby, med bright ruby rim. Elegant, complex, intense nose showing pure red-toned fruit, some bilberry, pine and a floral top-note. More beautiful pure, almost creamy red-toned fruit on the palate, outstandingly fresh acidity gives this real elegance, but there's real depth, length and delineation on the mid-palate too, fine tannins, just a dash of vanilla and then spicy and herbal complexity on a very long, fresh finish. Outstanding and very much at the start of its drinking window. 93+
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A Tale of Two Chateaux - Rauzan-Segla and Climens (The Wine Society, Stevenage): Still quite deep ruby, medium rim. Nose shows cassis, some richness, good intensity, starting to show some development, hint of tea. Lovely and refined on the palate, elegant with cool cassis fruit, spice, integrated tannins, signature mouthwatering acidity and then slight meatiness on the very good length finish. Excellent and showing well, but should continue to age well.
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French wines 1996 tasting (DTV): Ripe black currant, strawberry and herbs on the nose. The taste is filled with Tobaco, blackcurrant, some plum and prunes. Super nice, concentrated taste with good length. Very soft and elegant.
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Shared with Bill on his bachelor's night out. Didn't show as well as it did in the past..perhaps because it wasn't decanted..contrary to our request to the waitress. Nose was softly perfumed, silky texture, but rather high acids. Imperceptible finish.
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Much evolved since last bottle 6 months ago; its ready!. Perfumed, smooth as silk with a lingering finish. Imperceptible tannins except for a slight bitter after taste. Yummy.
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I was wise enough to give this an hour in the decanter prior to leaving for dinner. Once at the venue, I opened the stopper for another hour--this was a good move. Brilliant notes of earth and dark fruits with good depth and richness--I felt it was a wine M. Broadbent would enjoy--great character and just starting to hit maturity. Should continue to evolve into a rich and succulent wine for the remainder of the decade and gracefully slide to the middle of the next. Just what a person would want from the Margaux region.
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Mount Mary Cabernet vs Penfolds 707: A welcome change of pace after some of the full on 707s. Savoury, earthy and meaty with a bit of brett styled complexity and blackcurrant undertones. Elegant and showed very good balance. Tannins are still evident but they are nicely woven into the rest of the elements. Very good now and I think this bottle was only 2 or 3 years away from hitting its peak.
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Full body, salty, little brett on the nose for added complexity, interesting and quite enjoyable wine, "it's not your father's Oldsmobile". I glad I ordered 5 more from the store and will drink it with pleasure over the next 10 years..if I can keep my hands off it.
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2nd bottle in as many days. Clearly (in retrospect) the first bottle was 'off'. Beautiful dark red color, gorgeous floral nose (hint of vanilla) with fine complexity. Lowish alcohol level (12.5%), elegant, creamy (yet fluid) with good structure. Tanins are soft and integrated. Drinking superbly. Nice.
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After 1 hr of decanting, reddish-brown rim, nose flowery, briefly barnyardy. Earthy, spicy, medium body, v. good balance, soft tannins, medium finish. Very drinkable now.
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Really excellent. Does not need more time. Was approachable and drinkable when opened. Decanting was not necessary. Dark and rish and sikly with a long and wonderful finish.
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This is drinking fabulously. Not a very big offering, but well balanced with a surprisingly long finish. Better than two years ago when I last had it, it has shed some tannin and is probably at or near its peak. Don't let this sit around too much longer just because the "experts" tell you to. Try it now and see if you agree. I respectfully disagree with the expert from Maryland that this bottle needs considerably more bottle age. It may have been tannic and backward in 1999, but in 2006 after 7 years in a 52 degree cellar, it is no longer, at least in this neophytes opinion...
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I second the other reviews, this wine is not ready. I opened for about 4 hours then decanted for one and it still needed more time. There was a pretty strong funk in the first glass that went away by the time I was half done with it. It did give way to some nice dark fruits and the bottle definitely showed some promise. I have one left and will revisit it in 3-4 years.
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60% cabernet sauvignon; 40% merlot An earthy nose with some coffee and blackcurrants. Very attractive. Maturing but with a nice freshness. Very Good Indeed.
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I opened this at 5 and double decanted for our dinner--clearly two hours wasn't enough. The wine is still very reticent and closed with gobs of rich dark fruit lurking. I will let the remaining bottles rest for another 3 years before popping another. This should be an outstanding wine upon maturity (2010+?)
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I opened this in the middle of doing something else thinking it was a Segla, not the Rausan-Segla.
Luckily I was planning to decant it for 1.5 hours before dinner because this wine was so closed upon opening the bottle that I wasn't sure it would be drinkable. After the decant a nose of graphite and cassis emerged. Another hour later and finally the wine came together. It was medium to full-bodied and tannic but balanced. A nice aromatic finish with some floral notes that kept changing. I saved some for today to see how it evolved and will add comments.
This bottle was probably further along than most as it was purchased from a close-out sale and may have been stored warmer than cellar temps. If I had another properly stored bottle of this wine I would probably hold it for another 5 years minimum.
[Decanted 1.5 hours; Served with lamp chops]
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2/18/2024 - Sean Tay wrote: 93 Points
Drank from magnum. Aged nicely with notes of chocolate, flora, vanilla, toast, spices, black fruits. Medium+ acidity and medium tannin.
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2/15/2024 - SGoenophile Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dinner at 67PM. Somewhat light weight and lacking in depth. Quite average on the whole. Perhaps my expectations were too high. The second wine Segla 2009 was meaningfully better in my book. 2 years after the Wertheimer family acquired the estate so perhaps not enough time for the new team to make a mark on quality.
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1/5/2024 - drjb Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine puzzles me with some bottles quite glorious and others quite austere despite a classic Margaux nose and palate with blackcurrant confit, cedar, dark chocolate and flowers. This wine had all this but was still quite austere with a well defined structure even after a prolonged spell in the decanter. Overall a delicious wine just needing a little more mid palate richness at least in this bottle.
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11/16/2023 - Irish_Wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Developed nose with sous bois, dried mint, leather and dried black cherrry wrapped around a core of remaining fresh raspberry. Medium bodied with great acidity, partly resolved tannins and a long, earthy, savoury finish. Wouldn't wait much longer on this if you want to enjoy while some fresh fruit remains. While not very intense, the complexity and persistence on the finish are enjoyable.
WSET Notes:
Medium garnet.
Medium plus intensity on the nose with raspberry, black cherry, sous bois, dried mint, cedar, earth, tobacco, leather and dried black cherry. Fully developed.
Medium plus intensity and dry on the palate. Medium body, medium alcohol, hiigh acidity, medium plus tannins, long finish.
Drink now. Not suitable for ageing or further ageing.
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11/9/2023 - Rogershkg wrote: 92 Points
Very palatable, easy drinking. Nose cedar and dark fruit. Medium length taste
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5/6/2023 - Gone with the wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium ruby. Elegant pronounced nose of fresh black cherry, blackberry, raspberry, plum, mint, eucalyptus, rose petal and violet. Smoked cedar and well integrated vanilla. Leather, tobacco, wet leaves and forest floor. Dry and medium drying tannins. Good freshening acidity, low to medium alcohol and medium body. Long finish, plenty of time still in hand, very nice indeed
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4/15/2023 - LeroyHilarious Likes this wine: 92 Points
So silky and smooth
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3/6/2023 - rossi.wine wrote:
No formal notes - a little thin on the palate, gorgeous nose. 92-93?
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1/13/2023 - Lype Likes this wine:
Earthy cassis bouquet, very Bordelaise. The palate shows age but is very much intact, cassis, cedar, tobacco and brambly character. Moist forest floor, which deprives this of some its purity, albeit clean profile as a whole. Resolved quit firm tannins beautifully outlived by the fruit, gorgeous 1996 Left Bank acidity. Elegant but probably not the most sophisticated presentation, nevertheless excellent and in a great place. Agreed, all this warrants 93 Papies points. Not exactly feminine and fragrant, which shows how Margaux has several different types of soils and microclimates making it a diverse area with various types of wines.
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1/2/2023 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Pretty much identical observations compared to my previous note. Lovely nose, but a little thin and not totally harmonious on the palate. Slowly drink up. 91-93
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11/19/2022 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
We have had this wine a few times in the last 10 years ( Papies 92-93) and this was another consistent (and the best one so far ) performance of what beautiful wines were made in 1996 in the left bank. Elegant , mild yet with presence, well evolved, soft earth and herby touch. Effortlessly beautiful wine . 93-95 easy and with a lot of life ahead. Unfortunately our last bottle but am sure we will buy more
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5/21/2022 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful nose - open, generous, notes of leather, sweet fruit, tobacco, graphite, spices, leather. On the palate not quite as impressive. Good fruit still, soft and open. The acidity is a little harsh, there is a little dryness towards the finish. Medium depth and length. Slowly drink up. 91-93
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2/28/2022 - rossi.wine wrote: flawed
First bottle out of a case. Cork taint more on the nose than the palate. Definitely drinkable, but pretty flat and muted.
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12/31/2021 - Juliansi wrote:
Blackcurrant with leather coming through and once again like the 2006, on this particular evening, this RS was somewhat muted.. like a stallion ?? waiting to come out of its blocks! RS is a Second Growth or Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe in 1855, and we were privileged to enjoy a 25 year old Wine on the special occasion of Js birthday at Beast along Batai ???? On another occasion this RS would demonstrate more floral notes with a longer finish too.. Cheers!
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11/7/2021 - doctornoah Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic Margaux nose - elegant, perfumed, with ripe black currant, truffle, cigar wrapper and wet earth. Medium bodied, long on the finish neither jubilant nor austere, which puts it in classic territory for me. Lovey balance, no astringency. An excellent claret. Punches a bit above its weight.
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8/14/2021 - M.Y. Chong Likes this wine:
Beautiful wine. Second time having this bottle. Turned out to be very good. Still holding its own. Probably drinking at peak. Still has an abundance of food. Tell-tale Margaux nose and drank beautifully through the course of lunch. Will miss it.
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7/28/2021 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mid brick red. A fairly evolved nose (almost balsamic volatility?)" faecal, with dry forest undergrowth, feral, leather desk, some tobacco, black fruits, tilled soil, cedar wood and a hint of dried herbs. Medium bodied with a lively lemon acid, clear cedar wood and obvious maturity, hints of spice, more dried black fruits with fine yet slightly puckering tannins. Iron note appears later. There is a bit of sweetness and fatness in the mid palate and some bitter 85% chocolate but seems to be going nowhere. Drink up. Looking back on my notes, I wonder whether my last bottle was slightly scalped?
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4/9/2021 - Maphill01 wrote:
PNP followed over the night. This was delightful for the first five hours, elegant body, with lovely floral notes and red and black fruit, fresh and soft tannins. Wet earth and truffles. After 4-5 hours the fruit faded and this became more austere. Bottle was from auction. Update: came back into balance at the end of the night, interesting to see the evolution, overall a classic Margaux.
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3/27/2021 - Wino133 Likes this wine: 93 Points
90 minutes decanted
I'd guess this is in its prime now, its definitely got a balanace between primary and teritary notes - with some miles to go before it hits a very mature phase. Deep garnet, no sign of bricking on the rim.
Lovely.
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11/14/2020 - rikipedia wrote: 88 Points
Mid+ mahogany to bricking red rim.
A very tertiary bouquet filled with undergrowth, autumn leaves and leather polish. It seems far more mature than I expected, almost a little over-developed. As the wine opened there is pressed rose petals, bouquet garni, tobacco leaves and dried figs.
Medium weight with a noted acidic streak, quite leathery, dry, chewy tannins with distinct tertiary characters reflecting the nose. There is a flutter of black fruit, gentle spice and dried herbs but it certainly feels frail—more a lightweight claret and shorter than expected. Drink up. Still have two more bottles!
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5/12/2020 - ohne_musik wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hour to start. Muted nose of dried flowers, mixed with soy and old books.. Still plenty of verve, fading but still pure red fruit, mostly resolved chalky tannins, and acid holding strong. Fairly delicate and verging on lean, though there’s still hints of the sinewy structure that it once had. Gentle tertiary notes - soy, leather, mushroom, along with some rose/violet florals. Just a whisper of brett- enough to add lift.
4 hours in, black fruits have pushed to the fore, causing the tertiary notes to recede a bit. The overall effect is added freshness and depth to the mix. Probably just past peak but should hold for many years - a lovely and old school left bank wine.
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2/19/2020 - SGoenophile Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner at Kai Garden. No notes. Dark purple. Elegant. Lively, no sign of decline. Generously fruited and well balanced. Lives up to the reputation of the vintage.
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2/15/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Tons of wet earthy, black truffles, some leather and blue berries as the dominant fruit character. Palate maybe a bit thin, but with good acidity and structural tannins. Good amount of fruit here too. Improving by the minute in the glass / decanter revealing a more refined fruit, becoming more red. Second bottle in a short while and again confirming my previous impression: This is in an amazing spot right now.
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12/31/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
The 1996 Rausan Segla is a surprisingly muscular, bold wine yet the rich currant, cedar, loam, mineral character is balanced by an unmistakable, delicate violet touch. With a rich palate but unintegrated tannin, I should think these would be best kept for a few years more before digging in. 92-93
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12/25/2019 - jhorowitz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic bordeaux. Cigar box, leather, some earth, leaning to the red fruit side, although some nice cassis mixed in. Color light garnet with just a bit of bricking at the edge. Elegant in its way, but a leaner build like some other '96s I've had. In a great drinking spot, but enough of everything that this will hold for many more years.
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11/22/2019 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
30 min decant. Leather, barnyard, black tea, still fresh fruit, dried herbs, graphite and ashes, marginal imbalance on the palate, but still reasonably fresh. A bit thin. A great, classic Bordeaux nose potentially 95+, but palate can‘t keep up (more like 92). This is probabaly as good as as it gets, best to drink up. Tasted next to the 2016 which will likely evolve into more of a beauty. Having said that, both pale against the 2018 barrel sample I had!
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10/20/2019 - drjb Likes this wine: 93 Points
Initially this wine seemed closed and hard edged but 24hrs slow-ox at 14C changed it completely to a wine of deep red colour with a lovely classical nose of blackcurrants, dark plums, dark chocolate and white flowers. The palate is medium weight with terrific texture and layers of complex fruit leading to a fine tannic finish that is well balanced if not especially long. The richness of the fruit surprises after the initial impression and certainly stands out as the defining character in addition to the typical Rauzan structure.
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10/18/2019 - Rogershkg Likes this wine: 92 Points
I thought this was rather nice. I would rate better than I did last time. The colour was good, no sign of bricking quite bright. The nose still had plenty of fruit. The taste was complex with soft overtones. everyone liked it. My way of thinking better than some of the first growths of the same year
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10/6/2019 - Paul D wrote: 90 Points
9/15, vg cork - abt 10% soaked. Decanted 1 hr.
Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim - just a touch of mahogany. Moderately intense nose - red fruit, soil, spice, becoming gravelly. Medium bodied, red and also some darker fruit notes on the palate, gravelly mineral, soft tannins, an elegant middleweight with just a touch of sharpness on a good length finish. Perhaps not quite the best bottle of this?
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7/2/2019 - BradE wrote:
A lovely bottle, that was quite pleasing in an old school way, which is how I typically find Rauzan-Segla. In a great spot for current drinking.
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2/18/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 90 Points
One of the better Rauzan-Segla’s of the rather feeble period for the estate from the 70’s through the ‘90’s. Lean and sinewy with nice black fruit if less than optimally ripe with crisp acidity and a grippy finish. Quite elegant and silky without much complexity on the finish. Nice claret but what they are doing at the estate today seems miles better to me.
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1/1/2019 - mattstolz11 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. Classic Bordeaux and classic Margaux. Decanted for about an hour before first taste and but even though it improved through the night it was ready to go from the start. Ruby with mild bricking to the edge. Still incredibly youthful feeling. Nose of sweet fruit, leather and game. The barnyard is a little less upfront on the palate and the bright but dark fruit really takes over, sending the earthy notes to the background. If you are a fan of old school Bordeaux, this wine will make you very happy now and for decades to come.
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12/23/2018 - Stefan75 wrote: 91 Points
From Mag, 3h decant, needed time to open up, classic style, good balance, drink now or over the next few years
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12/1/2018 - M.Y. Chong Likes this wine:
Love this wine. I am a fan of Rauzan Segla. Amazing colour with bricking at the edges. Sweet cassis, black fruits, truffle, gamey, smoke, earthy nose, violets, sweet flowers, classic Margaux. In keeping with other Rauzan Seglas I have tried. That sweet Margaux scent is definitely there and is something that really appeals to me. Must say that the 2000 is better than the 1996 but this wine is no slouch too. Very fragrant bouquet. What I like from Rauzan Segla. Slightly thin on the mid palate. But with food (e.g. roast lamb). This shortcoming goes away. Needs roast lamb I would say. Complements each other really well. Savoury palate with a touch of salinity. Perfectly judged acidity. Long and satisfying finish. An extremely elegant wine. Would recommend. There was initially quite a lot of farmyard funk that goes away with decanting so that is what I will suggest to anyone that's opening one soon. 1 hour minimum. A wine that you do not want it to end.
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11/10/2018 - AudunG wrote: 92 Points
Delicious floral aromas, typical for mature Margaux. Has developed gracefully. Still plenty of tannins.
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9/26/2018 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
One month since we tried this last and had a followup bottle. Very consistent maybe a touch less giving hence the 92 now vs 93 then. Required decanting and a bit of patience but will not disappoint.
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8/11/2018 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
We always say this wine will put a smile on any classic bdx lovers face and indeed this remains the case.
Requires some decanting, we double decanted for 30 minutes and really helps develop the wine. Classic, elegant, open nose, leather, cedar, light pepper. Still good fruit and the wine is healthy and very much alive. This is now drinking at optimum in our view and is a buy on sight wine. 93
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4/30/2018 - Sean Tay wrote:
The wine looks garnet colored. It smells like blueberry, blackberry, toast and forest floor.
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2/17/2018 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Will put a smile to every classic Bordeaux lover's face from the pop of the cork.
We double decanted which helps at palate level as the nose is open from the start. On the secondary front but still with vitality, good level of fruit and firm but round tannin. This is now at peak but did feel like it has lots of of life in it and its really joyful now. Solid 93.
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1/30/2018 - Rogershkg wrote: 90 Points
This was a good wine but not spectacular. The Colour was good-deep red. The nose a bit closed. The balance was ideal. The taste dark red fruit, quite strong, good with duck confit, reasonable length but not memorable. Hence I don’t give it quite what others do.
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10/29/2017 - jmc167@me.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
What a way to end an enjoyable weekend!
The wine has a garnet color with some bricking and there is moderate sediment in the bottle.
On the nose at PnP, the wine presents primary aromas of blackberry, black currant (cassis), fig, prune and plum, with secondary aromas of leather and smoke.
On the palate the wine presents a brighter profile with red cherry and strawberry followed by plum and fig, finishing to earth and leather with some tannins still present.
Over the evening the wine tended to develop toward towards the fig, plum, earth and leather taste profile.
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10/28/2017 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent wine. Surprisingly so little decay in the colour and still very lively in taste. Elegant but good red/black fruit with a little earthiness and dry spice. Nice balance of tautness and roundedness. Pleasurable!!
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8/25/2017 - LWI wrote: 93 Points
Almost exotic, fairly generous, somewhat complex. Entering its window.
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5/31/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 92 Points
A very good wine overall, but lacked some of the exotic, charming elements I have come to enjoy with this vintage of RS. Medium ruby color. A clean, focused nose of black currant, blackberry, cedar, tobacco, and toasted coffee. Linear and straightforward on the palate. Very nicely balanced, with smooth, silky tannins. Medium length finish. This bottle was a bit concerning, as I'm not sure if this wine has already hit its peak, given its current trajectory. There's no reason not to open this now.
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5/12/2017 - yinha Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still going quite strong, so if properly stored is definitely not over the hill in my view. That said, doesn't seem to have great complexity. A pleasant 21 yr old
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2/19/2017 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful. A lovely garnet colored wine with hints of orange on the edge from Margaux and drinking oh so well right now. Was great from the pour, but we decanted for several hours (for sediment purposes as well). Wine improved and opened up considerably over the 3 hours we drank it with wonderfully stinky cheese and meats. With a nice perfumed nose of flowers and leather and grass. The flavors of cherry, tobacco, leather, chocolate, with a small amount of barnyard. Despite its medium body, it did have a long finish with very well-rounded tannins and slight acidity.
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2/19/2017 - partylikeakennedy wrote: 88 Points
Interesting. Thinner and more acidic than expected, though not at all a bad thing. Nose is dusty but has a Touch ID heat. Palate is light red fruits - tart pie cherry, rhubarb - but with enough dank and structure to keep it from being too one-dimensional. It's not nearly as complex as I'd hoped, and I think it's kinda over the hill in all honesty, but it's still a pleasant wine and I wouldn't kick it outta bed for eating crackers.
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12/29/2016 - kfinsrud wrote: 90 Points
Dekantert 30 min. En studie i solbær og sedertre. Etterhvert noe fiken og blyantkvess. Fløyelsmyk munnfølelse med mørke bær og noe mocca. Pent nedslipte tanniner og god syre som backer opp. God lengde. Begynnende moden, men ingen hast.
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12/3/2016 - cephomer Likes this wine:
Drank at Kittle House last nite. Decanted at home for one hour+. Fairly generous nose of black fruit, coffee and dried leaves. Medium bodied, tannins are fully resolved leaving a pretty elegant, charming mature margaux. This wine has peaked. Not a particularly powerful or highly structured wine, and not much fruit remains-though there are notes of black fruit/cassis--but it exudes lots of coffee/espresso, tobacco, graphite and earth. Nice gentle, fairly long finish. Very enjoyable and a prime example of a well-aged Margaux, if not particularly memorable.
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8/1/2016 - derek@bomelle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rusty colour. Tobacco box smell, pencil lead, cassis fruit. 20"+ finish. Silky tannins. Well balanced.
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7/9/2016 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Luxurious bouquet with cassis and other dark forest fruits, graphite and butterscotch. On the palate dark forest fruits, caramel and butterscotch, some soft coffee, beautiful acidity and round tannin. Beautiful wine which is fully mature now and which can last a few more years as well… Scores 94 because of its perfect drinking moment.
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5/11/2016 - mikita77 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank this after a 88 Mouton one of my guests was kind enough to bring. Thus the differences became clear. Out of a series of 96s that I tasted in the last few weeks this seemed to be the weakest. Obviously less opulent nose than the Mouton. I'd call it elegant, ripe flowers were there. Palate was rather lean. No signs of age, though. Tannins have almost all resolved. A very fine, classic Bordeaux, though it doesn't have the power of some in its vintage.
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3/22/2016 - Stefan75 wrote: 92 Points
Mag, last wine of the night, clearly younger and with more reserves than Cos 1994 but not "better" in my opinion, classic margaux with some more years to go
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2/16/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 88 Points
Coravin Marathon with Tim, Ben, Michael (Wingtip): (semi-blind - we knew it was a Bordeaux)
Dark ruby.
Super-bretty, with stewed bell peppers and light dried fruits. On the palate, dark cassis notes, elevated acid, elevated alcohol, and moderate tannins.
Guess: Based on the structure and slightly thin palate, I'm guessing this is Margaux, 2006.
actual: 1996 Margaux (my vintage call was way off!).
Overall: A bit bretty, but nice!
Score: 8.5-9.
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12/12/2015 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 90 Points
Slightly disappointing.
It has very nice aged (cigar box) character, brings Victorian club land images to mind, it's that sort of classic wine. But it's very dry, the fruit is fading faster than the oak. Pity.
Drink now.
12.5% ABV, sealed with cork.
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10/4/2015 - macaujames wrote: 89 Points
Rather linear and not too dense. Prominent oak. Excellent length. Lacks charm. Very 1996 in style. Probably needed a longer decant to really sing.
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7/15/2015 - ctc wrote: 92 Points
What a great wine. Still garnet red, beautiful nose, still tannic but beautifully controlled and a long finish.
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6/25/2015 - MEKWINE Likes this wine: 94 Points
BDX WIMPS event held at London's La Trompette. Initially served too cold. Resisted the temptation to imbibe until it warmed up in the glass. Classic nose of pencil lead and blackcurrants. Mid-weight, fine tannins, refined and reserved. An elegant wine.
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4/21/2015 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Color: deep red
Nose: bit odd, mainly earth and espresso
Palate: masculine & powerful, a decent wine
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12/27/2014 - Chrisinroch wrote:
Drank over 3 hours. Tasty and open right out of the blocks. Lovely nose of tobacco and cassis. Strong fruit core is delicious and still seems young but tannins are integrated nicely. Great balance. Really worked well with a sous vide ribeye. Drinking nicely, but a long life ahead.
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10/26/2014 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 94 Points
An impressive wine from Margaux, drinking very well right now. Can definitely PnP, but the wine improved and opened up considerably over 2 hours. Very nice perfumed nose. The nose and palate both exhibited dark plum, cherry, tobacco, dark chocolate, black tea leaf, and a hint of barnyard that tapered off. Long finish. Round tannins and well-balanced acidity on the finish. This wine has a long life ahead of it, probably 15-20 years. Drink or hold.
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9/8/2014 - behm0027 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rusty-brown color. Lots of rich dark fruit (plum, blackberry) on the nose, along with tobacco notes and a hint of eucalyptus. On the palate, red fruit (cherry), dusty earth, and graphite. Medium-bodied, lovely acidity, and subtle tannins - a very well balanced wine. Drinking very well right out of the bottle (no need to decant). Several years to go on this one.
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8/23/2014 - LIE-user wrote: 93 Points
What a great surprise. Found this in my cellar when looking for some other wine. The last bottle I drank was too young, probably 4 years ago. But now it is in great shape. Leather, tobacco, berries. Great warmth and somewhere between classic Bordeaux power and pure elegance, but hey, it is a Margaux.
Only 3 more bottles left, as soon as I see a good deal I will buy some more bottles.
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4/28/2014 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
mature Bordeaux wine evening (The Traklin Wine-Bistro): dark colour
wonderful tertiary aromas with notes of truffle, tobacco, fresh blackberry and earthy hints
medium/full bodied, an old school, classic style, lack complexity, still quite enjoyable.
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2/23/2014 - Average Wine Guy (MH) wrote: 91 Points
The 1996 Château Rauzan-Ségla is medium garnet in colour with a nose of sweet, perfumed cedar and rosewood alongside some stewed prunes and plums, sweet dried cherries, slight rosemary and dried tabacco leaves.
On the palate, the wine enters with dusty rosewood and stewed fruits before progressing to some herbs. Nonetheless, there's a consistent dustiness from the start to the finish. Tannins are rather resolved and powdery/chalky in texture. The wine ends on a medium finish. There's some quality and style in the wine with good class. Well made, soft but pretty persistent.
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2/3/2014 - Paul D wrote:
No formal note but this was on top form, with nice mature fruit, notes of tobacco and earth, tannins seamless, nice fresh acidity and a very good length finish. Excellent, drinking well but no hurry.
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1/5/2014 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious, showing lots of fruit, almost new world in style. Drank at The French Laundry from a half bottle.
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12/22/2013 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
The nose is deep, complex and a real winner. The palate is not, it seems austere and needs to soften. We were thinking that it may need more time, but then it didn't really improve during the 2 hours it was in front of me.
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12/21/2013 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
My wine of the night by a decent margin. I really love wines that are somewhere between 10 and 20 years old. 15 yrs seems to be the sweet spot for a wine to show its potential depth and yet, maintain vibrant freshness. This wine, at age 17, was in that exact spot. Balanced, with fruit plus classic BDX flavors. Great nose. Loved it! This should be in MY prime drinking window for another 5yrs.
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12/21/2013 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (Porter Creek, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color, no bricking. Slo-O for 4 hours and decanted for about 1 hr before decanting back into the bottle. Drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. This had a wow nose that I found blossomed after 15 minutes and continued to evolve. Classic Margaux perfume of leather, sandalwood, violets, earth, cedarbox, truffle, dark fruits of cassis and cherry. The palate was elegant with ample texture and dark fruits of cassis, cherry and raspberry, leather, earth, graphite, and spice. Medium-full bodied, feminine, complex, balanced, and an enchanting long finish. Another example of why I love this vintage in Bordeaux.
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12/8/2013 - G.M. wrote: 93 Points
Drank just after '96 Beychevelle which was terrific. This was also excellent and a good contrast of terroir with the Margaux perfume and delicacy showing through. Deep ruby. Red currant and raspberry fruit with floral aspect to the nose. Structured but soft palate with graphite and almost a touch of sweetness to the fruit. Very good. Preferred the Beychevelle, but only just, and table was split.
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12/4/2013 - deverett wrote: 91 Points
I have enjoyed all my bottles of this wine, one of my favourites from the vintage. This bottle was probably not at the level of others but still showing nice evolution and depth. Medium bodied, deep crimson with a lovely lifted fruity /cedary nose. Palate was not quite as integrated and smooth as expected based on previous experience, a bit angular perhaps, but still very enjoyable.
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8/19/2013 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
My Birthaday Party: Family, Friends, Food and Wine !!! (My home): No real notes taken. The wine is still deep red. Nose of berries and licorice. It is very balanced, elegant and long. This is my second time I am tasting this wine and I always love it. For me type of a 1996 sleeper. Drink now - 2030
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6/9/2013 - Paul D wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1/2 an hour. Medium garnet core, pale garnet rim. Perfumed nose, showing mature plum and blackcurrant fruit, spice, floral notes. On the palate this displays a core of sweet plum and blackcurrant fruit, cedar, just a touch of bloody meat and smoke, soft tannins, then fresh acidity carrying a very good length, harmonious finish. Certainly elegant and refined rather than a powerful blockbuster, but none the worse for that. Drinking well.
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5/4/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Truffle, tobacco, fresh picked blackberry and earthy notes open to a medium/full bodied wine that hovers on the austere, or should I say, classic side of the style range. With 3 hours of air, the wine softened, and developed aromatic complexities, but it remained an old school, classic style that could use a bit more charm. It's not about the quality, it's about the style. Either give it another 5 years of bottle age, or 3-4 hours of air, if you're thinking of popping a cork.
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4/18/2013 - Ramberg wrote: 94 Points
Very, very good, excellent, mature Margaux!
Drinking lovely right now.
Stable, barnyard, leather, tobacco and flowers.
Very balanced, with beautiful concentrated fruit and the 1996 signature acidity.
In a great drinking window right now, giving away waves of pleasure.
Very pure and transparent.
A loooong and very elegant finish!
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2/8/2013 - Jhcwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cannot recall tasting details, but recall liking it. Score would have been at least 93, probably 94.
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1/12/2013 - Billigan wrote: 91 Points
The nose carried the day here. Wonderful bouquet right out of the gate with nice cassis and tobacco and wonderful floral undercurrent. On the palate, it was balanced but also seemed to be flagging a bit, with some rustic flavors and textures showing through. Overall a solid Margaux that went well with my wife's lamb stew.
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12/6/2012 - paulst wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful nose with leather and sweet fruit; nice light blackberry; austere and complex; long sweet finish.
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12/2/2012 - Yamadori wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 4 hours and rebottled. The nose had lots of cassis with a distinct floral element and some leather. Medium bodied and very smooth in the mouth. Beautiful blackcurrent and plum fruit with a core of sweetness. Classic notes of cigar box, leather and earth.25 second finish with smooth tannins. Not a powerhouse but a very refined and elegant wine which was a pleasure to drink. Excellent wine with plenty of life left in it.
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11/11/2012 - cephomer wrote: 95 Points
Drank at our dinner party last nite and had this, compared with a 99 Palmer, with our roast duck. I decanted the wine for several hours before dinner, knowing that this wine needs it to open up sufficiently, and it did the job. A light to medium red hue to the wine, and I did not see much evidence, if any, of bricking along the edges. The wine had a very fragrant nose of flowers and raspberries. Medium bodied with excellent acidity, pleasant tannins and nice minerality, the palate revealed lots of lead pencil and graphite, with copious amounts of cassis and perhaps blackberries on the attack. Very long finish. A very structured, elegant wine that, even after several hours decanting, seemed to be holding back some of its intensity. I almost regret drinking it now because this wine is still quite youthful, and my guess is that, in another 5-10 years, it will be even better than it was last nite. An excellent, if somewhat understated stunner. Wine of the night! (among 99 Palmer, 99 Mouton, 88 Le Bon Pasteur, 99 Tertre Roteboeuf and 88 Yquem--maybe a tie with the Yquem...)
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9/13/2012 - AllRed wrote: 86 Points
Notes of florals and red currants, with subtle spice and forest undertones. Light-bodied, with subtle red fruit flavors on the palate, though it seems tired and dried out.
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5/12/2012 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for about 1.5hrs and it helps mellow the wine. The nose is open from start. Also quite a bit of fine sediment.
The colour shows the age with bricking on the rim but the core is glossy. On the nose it is classical matured left bank bordeaux with lots of eathy notes, fruit is there. REally open and long on the nose.Secondary. On the palate it is still very much alive and long, tannins mellowed post decanting and its drinking really nicely at the moment. Good life ahead too. 93
Another beautiful 1996 left bank bordeaux. We have begun trying more and more of the low parker rated 96s ( Talbot etc) and these are great drinkers now and in decent prices especially vs their En Primeur siblings.
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5/5/2012 - samer wrote: 90 Points
rich terroir -- dirt, horse/leather, brambles that opened up and softened over the 2-hr meal. Made the thick, juicy filet taste even better and matched with bernaise sauce quite well.
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4/21/2012 - drjb wrote: 94 Points
This weeks surprise ! Color still dark crimson with great clarity - some softening at the edge. Beautiful Margaux nose of blackcurrants, plums, dark chocolate and white flowers. Much more giving than previous bottles. Palate medium weight with beautiful texture and balance leading to fine tannins and great length. Rich fruit character defines the first impression. The real surprise is the maturation of the drying tannins obvious at tastings 2 years ago. Delicious Margaux !
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12/12/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 88 Points
Light ruby red with brownish hue. this has pretty much developed, caramel, creme de cassis, pencil shaving, earth and violet. Soft, lush with underling tannic structured. Good concentration of fruits, tobacco, sous bois and mushroom for the mid palate sap and depth. The medium length finish is still fresh and intense with mineral, savory and plummy aftertaste. Good but not great.
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12/10/2011 - City Wine Journal wrote: 91 Points
Auction bottle held 1 year. Great cork. Decanted 3 hours, and still seems not quite enough, judging from the expansive glass 2 hours later. Dark red, medium bodied, firm, tannic and still pulled tight like a drum, developing only after much patience. Then it hits hard and strong. These are 20 year holds, these Rauzan Seglas. Having loved the 09 and 10 at Primeur, cannot imagine drinking those before 2030. And by then maybe this 1996 will peak. Wait.
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10/30/2011 - Mingmong wrote: 94 Points
Stewed cherries, red flowers, liqourice, perfumed nose. Very pretty wine, cassis and raspberry, some blackberries and fruitcake on the finish. Freshly balanced and excellent drinking wine
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10/30/2011 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Charity Event for Lee Ah Mooi Old Aged Home (My Little Spanish Place): I thought this was really excellent - yet another example of just how good 1996 was on the left-bank. It had a knockout nose, completely bursting with Margaux goodness. Here there were lush aromas of loamy earth, whiffs of cigar smoke and a little lift of sweet wood spices ringed around a core of ripe cassis and red cherry notes, along with a touch of violets peeking out from behind. Really pretty stuff. Palate was beautiful too. This had everything I like in 1996 left-banks - pure, transparent cassis fruit, lovely fleshy sappiness, finely detailed tannins, beautiful fresh balance - all soft and supple yet with no lack of structure, this was just delicious. At the back-palate, a lovely long finish lingered away with licks of very Margaux spice, smoke and tobacco. Beautiful. At a nice place for drinking now, especially with a nice cut of meat, but I can imagine that this will be a tremendously good wine in another 2 to 3 years. This would have been superb value upon release. Pity how high the prices have climbed year-on-year since the Chanel takeover.
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10/24/2011 - deverett wrote: 93 Points
Great texture and balance. Soft and supple with a rich core of dark fruit showing blackberry, coffee and cedar. Very earthy as well and tannins prominent but quite fine, ripe and well integrated. Medium bodied but generous and while a lovely drink now, will be better again in 5 years.
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8/1/2011 - samer wrote: 92 Points
Ch Rauzan-Segla is a reliable Margaux, displaying strong barnyard, earthy, "le poo poo" smells right out of the bottle. But over the next hour, the wine opened up to tastes of blackberries, a little tobacco, and rich dirt, echoing softer smells too. An excellent, rich, reasonably balanced finish but there are still plenty of tannins in the bottle, suggesting another 5-10 good years.
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5/24/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 92 Points
Chateau Rauzan-Segla Vertical Tasting and Chateau Canon with John Kolasa (Mariposa - Honolulu, HI): Nice colour. Ripe cherry, brick, chalk, spice and cedar. Copious tannins, with judicious layers and a decent mid. A finish that is well-done and lingering. Better than I remember. Drink now - 2022.
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3/28/2011 - Rani wrote: 94 Points
Licorice and coffee notes. Great core of fruit with very fine but persistent tannins. Good length too. Every once in a while a whiff of violets. Beautiful wine, just kept evolving.
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3/20/2011 - Schwarzer Hund wrote:
earthy and vegetal notes upon pulling cork. deep red with slight brick edge (shows more bricking than 1995 side-by side). After 45-60 minutes nose is quite reserved but vegetal notes are gone. very earthy with faint dark cherry/blackberry scent. light to medium on palette, concentrated dark fruits, some acidity, soft tannins. Pleasant finish is of medium length (30 sec). Wine gains density and weight after 3-4 hours with much deeper leather and tobacco flavor. Very similar to 1995 at this point. Finish has lengthened nicely.After 4 hours side by side with the 1995 we would give the edge to the 1995 but only by a bit. Just opened case bought as Future. Delicious with prime NY strip.
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12/20/2010 - City Wine Journal wrote: 93 Points
Auction bottle, held a couple months. Perfect cork. Left open three hours, shared over three more. Purple and young. Better and better every hour, overcoming a tight and constricted start, big dark fruit emerging on a leather and cedar core. Very long finish, well balanced. An Auction bargain right now, with 5-10 more years. Very nice bottle.
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12/8/2010 - Paul D wrote:
Chateaux Canon and Rauzan-Segla with John Kolasa (Merchant Taylors' Hall, Threadneedle Street, London EC2): More developed and complex. Showing spice, red and black berry fruit, a hint of meatiness. elegant and refined on the mid-palate, some attractive creamy red fruit and savoury notes, a touch firm on the finish.
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11/9/2010 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote: 92 Points
Last of these bottles. An elegant yet rich cabernet... pure class act. Opened up beautifully over the course of 2-3 hours.
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11/6/2010 - cos82 wrote: 92 Points
Popped, sat for an hour, and poured at local BYOB. Still dark purple with no sign of maturity. Nice nose of cassis, blueberry and hint of lilac. Really nice palate of blackberry, plum, earth and leather. Balanced and smooth with beautiful length and finish. Not a hint of tannin. Wish I had more. A very gulpable wine.
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8/3/2010 - njAndrew wrote: 91 Points
Had this a while ago and forgot to put it in. I rember that the bottle still has a lot of life left in it. Casis, earth and cede with a little bit of funk. Drinking well now with a decant but I would hold for a few years.
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7/31/2010 - Fur in the glass wrote:
plum, tobacco and leather on the nose. Had a prominant silky texture, fresh tasting of cassis and brambly fruit. Day 2 had a spicier quality.
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7/25/2010 - Rani wrote: 93 Points
Magnificent nose - violets, purple berries and hints of cloves and plums. Very smooth and silky on the palate, with a full mid-palate and medium length. Drinking very well now.
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5/16/2010 - Paul D wrote: 92 Points
Medium/deep ruby core, bright pale garnet rim. Sweet black-fruited nose, notes of gravelly minerals and spice, hint of bloody meat. Medium bodied on the palate, red and black berry fruit on the initial attack, notes of gravelly minerals, good (if not huge) depth, silky and really very elegant, fully integrated tannins, nice fresh acidity carries a good length, lingering harmonious finish. No tightness/firmness here, drinking really well.
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3/11/2010 - Paul D wrote:
No formal note. Attractive cassis and gravelly mineral nose, some spice and floral notes. Medium bodied on the palate, fresh acidity, this bottle a little tight and firm on the finish.
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10/11/2009 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
Medium/deep ruby, medium pale ruby rim. Medium intense, slightly creamy cassis and bilberry fruit, minerals, floral notes. Medium bodied, pure cassis fruit, some red berry notes coming through, gravelly minerals, very fine tannins, becoming quite silky on the mid-palate, beautiful, vibrant acidity carries a lingering finish with just a hint of savoury meatiness. Lovely, elegant, feminine Margaux drinking really well but absolutely no hurry.
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7/26/2009 - Rani Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark ruby. Some brett on the nose. A big wine, with fat tannins and good length. Ripe yet reserved. Very good indeed.
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6/21/2009 - HIT wrote: 91 Points
From a 375ml bottle. Expressive nose made up of blackberry, leather and a hint of earth and smoke. Good structure starting powerfully on the palate with red fruit and balanced acidity leading to a more elegant finish with some mocha and vanilla. Still tannic but the wine carries it with ease. Very nice.
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6/1/2009 - dejanp wrote: 93 Points
Had it in a Michelin star restaurant in Bordeaux along their tasting menu 6 months ago. It was delicious, but cannot remember details.
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1/12/2009 - Kevin_C wrote: 93 Points
From a 375 ml bottle. Deep purple-red color. Bouquet of violets, juicy red fruits, a whiff of Hawaiian Punch, menthol and rubber. Medium bodied with a big, juicy mid-palate leading to a complex, minerally finish that lingers for a bit. Fine tannins appear on the finish that are dry and chalky. This is lovely and very elegant. [93-94]
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11/1/2008 - Paul D wrote:
Consistent with previous note, just a hint of tobacco detectable on the finish.
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3/16/2008 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
Medium/deep ruby, med bright ruby rim. Elegant, complex, intense nose showing pure red-toned fruit, some bilberry, pine and a floral top-note. More beautiful pure, almost creamy red-toned fruit on the palate, outstandingly fresh acidity gives this real elegance, but there's real depth, length and delineation on the mid-palate too, fine tannins, just a dash of vanilla and then spicy and herbal complexity on a very long, fresh finish. Outstanding and very much at the start of its drinking window. 93+
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2/12/2008 - Vinoguy wrote: 90 Points
Nose not as pronounced as the 2001, but well balanced and concentrated with potential to improve further.
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10/20/2007 - Paul D wrote: 92 Points
A Tale of Two Chateaux - Rauzan-Segla and Climens (The Wine Society, Stevenage): Still quite deep ruby, medium rim. Nose shows cassis, some richness, good intensity, starting to show some development, hint of tea. Lovely and refined on the palate, elegant with cool cassis fruit, spice, integrated tannins, signature mouthwatering acidity and then slight meatiness on the very good length finish. Excellent and showing well, but should continue to age well.
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6/29/2007 - Terkel wrote: 91 Points
French wines 1996 tasting (DTV): Ripe black currant, strawberry and herbs on the nose. The taste is filled with Tobaco, blackcurrant, some plum and prunes. Super nice, concentrated taste with good length. Very soft and elegant.
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6/23/2007 - aof wrote: 89 Points
Shared with Bill on his bachelor's night out. Didn't show as well as it did in the past..perhaps because it wasn't decanted..contrary to our request to the waitress. Nose was softly perfumed, silky texture, but rather high acids. Imperceptible finish.
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4/10/2007 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
bad provenance, N/R
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4/7/2007 - aof wrote: 93 Points
Much evolved since last bottle 6 months ago; its ready!. Perfumed, smooth as silk with a lingering finish. Imperceptible tannins except for a slight bitter after taste. Yummy.
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3/30/2007 - BradA wrote: 92 Points
I was wise enough to give this an hour in the decanter prior to leaving for dinner. Once at the venue, I opened the stopper for another hour--this was a good move.
Brilliant notes of earth and dark fruits with good depth and richness--I felt it was a wine M. Broadbent would enjoy--great character and just starting to hit maturity. Should continue to evolve into a rich and succulent wine for the remainder of the decade and gracefully slide to the middle of the next. Just what a person would want from the Margaux region.
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3/11/2007 - CamWheeler wrote: 89 Points
Mount Mary Cabernet vs Penfolds 707: A welcome change of pace after some of the full on 707s. Savoury, earthy and meaty with a bit of brett styled complexity and blackcurrant undertones. Elegant and showed very good balance. Tannins are still evident but they are nicely woven into the rest of the elements. Very good now and I think this bottle was only 2 or 3 years away from hitting its peak.
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2/5/2007 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
1996 Bordeaux at it's best. This one is ready.
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1/19/2007 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
worht it's price
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1/14/2007 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
not sure of the provenance, needs revisit
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1/9/2007 - Serge Birbrair wrote: 92 Points
Full body, salty, little brett on the nose for added complexity, interesting and quite enjoyable wine,
"it's not your father's Oldsmobile". I glad I ordered 5 more from the store and will drink it with pleasure over the next 10 years..if I can keep my hands off it.
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9/19/2006 - aof wrote: 93 Points
2nd bottle in as many days. Clearly (in retrospect) the first bottle was 'off'. Beautiful dark red color, gorgeous floral nose (hint of vanilla) with fine complexity. Lowish alcohol level (12.5%), elegant, creamy (yet fluid) with good structure. Tanins are soft and integrated. Drinking superbly. Nice.
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9/17/2006 - aof wrote: 90 Points
After 1 hr of decanting, reddish-brown rim, nose flowery, briefly barnyardy. Earthy, spicy, medium body, v. good balance, soft tannins, medium finish. Very drinkable now.
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7/23/2006 - CobraKahn wrote: 93 Points
Really excellent. Does not need more time. Was approachable and drinkable when opened. Decanting was not necessary. Dark and rish and sikly with a long and wonderful finish.
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6/9/2006 - JordanC wrote: 93 Points
This is drinking fabulously. Not a very big offering, but well balanced with a surprisingly long finish. Better than two years ago when I last had it, it has shed some tannin and is probably at or near its peak. Don't let this sit around too much longer just because the "experts" tell you to. Try it now and see if you agree. I respectfully disagree with the expert from Maryland that this bottle needs considerably more bottle age. It may have been tannic and backward in 1999, but in 2006 after 7 years in a 52 degree cellar, it is no longer, at least in this neophytes opinion...
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12/21/2005 - fhmesq wrote:
I second the other reviews, this wine is not ready. I opened for about 4 hours then decanted for one and it still needed more time. There was a pretty strong funk in the first glass that went away by the time I was half done with it. It did give way to some nice dark fruits and the bottle definitely showed some promise. I have one left and will revisit it in 3-4 years.
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11/26/2005 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 90 Points
60% cabernet sauvignon; 40% merlot
An earthy nose with some coffee and blackcurrants. Very attractive. Maturing but with a nice freshness. Very Good Indeed.
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6/23/2005 - BradA wrote: 92 Points
I opened this at 5 and double decanted for our dinner--clearly two hours wasn't enough. The wine is still very reticent and closed with gobs of rich dark fruit lurking. I will let the remaining bottles rest for another 3 years before popping another. This should be an outstanding wine upon maturity (2010+?)
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10/30/2004 - Winetex wrote: 91 Points
I opened this in the middle of doing something else thinking it was a Segla, not the Rausan-Segla.
Luckily I was planning to decant it for 1.5 hours before dinner because this wine was so closed upon opening the bottle that I wasn't sure it would be drinkable. After the decant a nose of graphite and cassis emerged. Another hour later and finally the wine came together. It was medium to full-bodied and tannic but balanced. A nice aromatic finish with some floral notes that kept changing. I saved some for today to see how it evolved and will add comments.
This bottle was probably further along than most as it was purchased from a close-out sale and may have been stored warmer than cellar temps. If I had another properly stored bottle of this wine I would probably hold it for another 5 years minimum.
[Decanted 1.5 hours; Served with lamp chops]
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