2024 Rauzan-Segla (Margaux)

Inky colour here, one of the deepest in the appellation, lovely precision, great quality, the cool spirit of the vintage comes through in the sappy fruit, blue rather than black in character if not in colour, with black tea, espresso, chalk, lots of finesse, and still delivers flesh through the mid palate, with a touch of bitter cocoa bean on the finish. 22% press wine, 50% new oak, 3.7ph. This is the first organic certified vintage. 30hl/h yield, 55% of production in the main estate wine. 94 points

The 2024 Rauzan-Segla is magnificent. One of the top wines of the Left Bank, Rauzan-Segla possesses tremendous textural density and mind-blowing balance. Dark fruit, lavender, spice, licorice and new leather are all dialed up in a potent, layered Margaux that offers stunning harmony and incredible purity. At this stage, Rauzan-Segla is one of the wines of the vintage in Bordeaux. Elegant yet powerful, the 2024 is simply magnificent. Tasted four times. 95-98 points

The 2024 Rauzan Segla, picked between September 23 and October 11, was aged for 18 months in 50% new oak barrels. It has a fuller bouquet than the Deuxieme Vin, with pure black fruit, a hint of violet and a splash of India ink—refined rather than powerful. The palate is medium-bodied and tensile, with lighter tannins than the `20 or `22, poised and quite linear in style. A dash of black pepper and graphite emerges towards the liquorice-tinged finish. Clearly, this is a more approachable Rauzan-Segla that should provide up to 20 years of drinking pleasure. 91-93 points