2010 Bordeaux en primeur: Rauzan-Segla
17/06/11
Rumours in Bordeaux this morning that next week we'll see no action. The city is hosting Vinexpo and today all is quiet as the Bordelaise dust down their dinner suits and polish their shoes in anticipation of the arrival of their biggest customers from around the world. So this morning just one wine to report, released as we sent out our round-up yesterday afternoon. And it's a good one.
Perhaps it's the fact that it's owned by Chanel. Or, at least, the many millions they've invested since buying it in 1994. Or perhaps it's because John Kolasa - formerly of Chateau Latour - is the man in charge. Whatever, as they say, Rauzan-Segla is consistently producing the third best wine in Margaux, an appellation which performed particularly well in 2010. We reckon this is even better than the meltingly brilliant 2009. At - most likely - a third of the price of Palmer, not to mention a much smaller fraction of Margaux itself, this is one not to miss for lovers of Bordeaux's most seductive commune:
'A superb success - superior to 2009. Dark-hued wine. Mighty nose of black fruit: deep floral and subtle. Splendid and regal on entry then fat and alive with aromas. Rich and complex on the mid palate through to a powerful and finely-grained finish pure Margaux style. I believe this 2010 is more refined than the 2005. Impeccably crafted. 94 points.' - Jean-Marc Quarin, quarin.com
STOP PRESS! With a major London merchant discounting this to a level which satisfies their pre-orders, we've taken off our shirts and reduced our price accordingly. We are currently issuing credits to all customers who've bought already. For those who haven't, it's now an even better buy!
Staying with Margaux, some of our mail recipients yesterday missed our coverage of another of the commune's highlights. As the leading chateaux strive for ever loftier heights with their first labels, what are us mere mortals to buy to drink? Well, at Chateau Margaux this year we were told that their new third label has been conceived for traditional markets - "Europe, the US and Japan." Depressing? It would be, were it not for the enormous improvement in quality of secondary labels. And nowhere is that progress more evident than at Chateau Palmer. 'In this vintage it resembles Palmer more than Alter Ego,' says Ian D'Agata (internationalwinecellar.com). 'Like a scaled down version of the grand vin, this is classic Palmer,' (Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com).
'For many of the classified growths in the Medoc, the quality of the second wines has soared over the last 5-6 years, and Alter Ego is no exception. The 2010 Alter Ego is the richest ever made. Relatively high in alcohol, this is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Merlot. Thick and juicy, its black fruits intermixed with acacia flowers, camphor, and subtle smoky notes are followed by a plump, corpulent style of wine with loads of fruit, glycerin and texture. Drink it over the next 15 or so years. Drink 2013-2026. 90-92 points.' - Robert Parker, erobertparker.com
Halves & magnums £10 extra per 9 litre case; other formats on request
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