2003 - Rauzan-Segla, Margaux

Soft ruby colour, crushed raspberry fruit on the nose, fresh acidities that keep things elevated through the palate, allowing the coffee bean, liqourice, bitter almond and undergrowth to appear in waves. This is ready to drink, but still has good tannic structure and character, 55% new oak, 30hl/h yield. Harvest September 4 to 22. John Kolasa director.

Deep garnet-brick colored, the 2003 Rauzan-Ségla reveals notes of espresso, cigar box, sandalwood and leather over a core of raisin cake, prunes and potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, the palate possesses a lot of mature fruit with a chewy frame and compelling herbal sparks that come through on the long finish. The blend this year is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, harvested between September 4th and 22nd at an average yield of 30 hectoliters per hectare. It was aged for 18 months in French oak, 55% new. The alcohol is 12.5%.

The 2003 Rauzan-Ségla has a well-defined bouquet that is fresher than many 2003s at 20 years of age, with fragrant scents of blackberry, peony and iris flower. Good vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fine acidity, taut and linear with a graphite-tinged, slightly tarry finish. Not bad at all, though I am not convinced it will improve with further bottle age. Tasted at the château.

A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2003 Rauzan-Segla has a medium brick color. The nose opens with mature notes of leather, tobacco leaf, and iron ore, followed by hints of iodine, sauteed herbs, and dusty soil, with a touch of black tea leaves. The light-bodied palate reveals a fully mature wine, with chewy tannins and a racy backbone defining the palate, finishing a little rustic and short.