Segla 2015

Segla – the second wine of Ch Rauzan Segla – is a steal. Many today put the grand vin alongside Palmer and Ch Margaux itself in terms of quality in the appellation. Yet Segla remains extremely well priced – and the wine is outstanding. You will not find a better value second wine anywhere else on the Left Bank.

The rise of Ch Rauzan Segla is well documented. Acquired in 1994 by the Wertheimer family, owners of Chanel, the property has benefitted from significant investment and expertise. Perhaps the Wertheimers’ most decisive move was to bring in John Kolasa from Ch Latour and under his stewardship the wine came into its own. When Kolasa retired in 2015, Nicolas Audebert took over, continuing to develop precision and finesse at the chateau.

The chateau’s second wine, Segla, is always made from particular vineyard plots. It is made along the same lines as the grand vin, with manual sorting and vinification in small lots. The main difference is the elevage: Segla has a shorter maturation time of 15 months and sees a lower percentage of new oak. The wine shows the characteristic perfumed aromatics and silky texture of the grand vin but is approachable earlier.

The 2015 is a particularly successful vintage for Segla. It comes from an excellent vintage in Bordeaux and one in which Margaux stood out for quality. Segla 2015 is drinking very now at nine years old but it will easily last another 5-10 years in the cellar.

This is a fantastic vintage of one of Bordeaux’s very best second wines in terms of value of money. It is – quite simply – delicious.

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