2010 Chateau Rauzan-Segla Margaux Grand Cru Classe 750 ml

In 2010, one of the finest Second Growths of Bordeaux’s hallowed Margaux appellation—Château Rauzan-Ségla—produced a stunning, full-bodied, chiseled Cabernet that Robert M. Parker Jr. called “a stunning wine,” adding that it “should prove to be a timeless classic from the appellation of Margaux.”  

This wine earned a glowing 98 points from James Suckling, who suggests it’s the estate’s best ever. We think it is, and compared to Suckling’s other highest-rated Second Growths, our $169 price makes it the best-in-class value of the vintage. Jeb Dunnuck offered similarly effusive praise when he said this wine “could easily be mistaken for a First Growth” and is “the greatest wine made at this estate in the past two decades.”

Just 108 bottles are available today—direct from the Château cellars, in perfect condition with perfect provenance. Now that collectors have had a decade with this wine, it’s getting scarcer and scarcer. 

When we last offered this shimmering red our allocation disappeared, and this wine has never been better. It pours into the glass an inky, deep purple, with a nose of forest floor, crème de cassis, oak, and dark chocolate. Abundant yet soft tannins support a cascade of youthful fruit on the palate, ranging from fresh blackberry to fig and plum notes. Gorgeously youthful but with the hallmarks of a wine built to last, we expect its glorious crescendo to last at least another decade.

Rauzan-Ségla’s history dates back to the 1600s, and it’s often considered one of the finest Second Growth vineyards in Bordeaux. In fact, from its 1855 classification, Rauzan-Ségla was situated right behind Mouton Rothschild, which is now a First Growth. Rauzan-Ségla’s leader, John Kolasa, oversaw extensive renovations at both Latour and Rauzan-Ségla but recently retired in 2015, which means this is some of the last of his lauded wine.

For all the attention in the vineyard and winery, the best wines can only achieve their potential in the best vintages, and 2010 was a landmark year, bearing a keen resemblance to the great 2005 and iconic 1986 vintages. Following a harsh winter, there were no torrid heat spells, while all those acidity-infusing cool nights brought about a concentrated grapes that summer’s drought conditions enhanced. Staggered flowering and a four-week harvest (mid-September to mid-October) ensured the fruit’s flavor intensity. 

Considering its harmonious balance of ripe fruit, minerality, and earthiness, 2010 will appeal to all, especially to lovers of classically framed Bordeaux.