Going Back to the Roots, the Terroir, the Reliable

Running through the aisles of my local wine store, I wanted to pick out something different, something I haven’t tried yet. Burgundy? Brunello? German Riesling? Naw, not feeling the sweet stuff tonight. After browsing through the above categories, nothing seemed to have jumped up at me. Either the selection wasn’t that great or the prices were too much for a simple tasting. So what do I do? Go back to the roots, the terroir, the reliable – Bordeaux.

2003 Ségla, Margaux

Ségla is the second label for Chateau Rauzan Ségla, located in Margaux. The vineyard at Chateau Rauzan-Ségla supports 51 ha of vines, with a dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon (61%) and Merlot (35%), with 2% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin is Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, of which there are typically 8000 cases produced per annum. Rigorous selection is essential, ensuring that only the choicest portion of the harvest goes into the Grand Vin, the rest going into the second wine, Ségla.

Decanted for about 4 hours, the 2003 Ségla had a perfume that was undeniably sexy – sporting a dark garnet core with ruby rims, the Ségla had a nose full of scorched earth, dirty straw, manure, and oak. Upon more sniffing, smoke, cigar and hints of herbal notes come into display. On the palate, the wine has an amazing finish – roughly 30 seconds in length. Tannins still present, yet the wine is quite smooth. Speaking of the finish, I get dark cherries and hints of mint. Although the 2003 vintage was not a fantastic vintage for Margaux, the Ségla still displays good texture and complexity.

I decided to try a glass that is not decanted – freshly popped and poured. Wow, is it different on the nose!! Not as mature and dense as the decanted glass – the freshly poured glass displays a nose of fresh spring dirt and wet maple leaves. It’s almost as if you walked through a forest on a misty, foggy morning. Quite beautiful indeed. On the palate, much more tannic than the decanted glass, therefore, a little muted; but the finish is still quite nice. Fantastic!

If this is only the second label, can you imagine the Grand Vin!? Luckily, I have a 2005 Chateau Rauzan-Ségla slumbering . . . waiting to be awaken in about 20 years!

The 2003 Ségla is ready to drink now, but can probably benefit with another 3-5 years of cellaring and should last for another decade. What an enjoyable evening! Like I said, when in doubt, go back to the roots, the terroir, the reliable – Bordeaux. 90+ pts