Chateau Rauzan-Segla 1995

Professional Ratings

• 93 Wine Spectator
  Very ripe, with an almost raisiny edge. Light vanilla flavor. Full-bodied, with lots of ripe fruit and a long, caressing, silky finish. Gorgeous wine.
• 90 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  This wine was consistently outstanding from cask, and I suspect it may eventually merit an even higher score, but it was totally closed when I saw it in November. Unfortunately, it was one of the few wines that I was only able to taste once after bottling. Nevertheless, it is a classic vin de garde, with a saturated ruby/purple color, and a tight but promising nose of sweet plum and cassis fruit intertwined with underbrush, vanillin, and licorice scents. The wine is ripe, medium to full-bodied, and rich, as well as unyielding, ferociously tannic, pure, and layered. The finish is extremely dry (sec, as the French would say), with a brooding angularity and toughness. In spite of this, my instincts suggest the requisite depth is present to balance out the structure. This effort will also require a decade of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.
• 90 Jeb Dunnuck
  Not far in maturity from the 1996, the 1995 Rauzan-Ségla is slightly richer and more foursquare, with chocolate black fruits, spice, and tobacco aromas and flavors. Rich, medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, and with still present tannins, it has more weight and richness but less complexity than the 1996. It too will continue drinking nicely for another decade or more.