A wine with a beautiful aromas and flavors of dark fruits, minerals and dried flowers. Full body, integrated tannins and a fresh finish. A little chewy but will soften with age.

Deep garnet colored, the 2011 Rauzan-Ségla displays a series of earthy notes to begin—truffles, moss-covered bark, fungi and tilled soil—over a core of redcurrant jelly, blackberry pie and mincemeat with hints of sandalwood, new leather and fallen leaves. Medium-bodied with a firm line of chewy, slightly rustic tannins, it has a great core of earth-laced black fruits with provocative freshness and a long mineral-tinged finish.

The blend this year is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, harvested between September 8th and 28th, at an average yield of 28 hectoliters per hectare. It was aged for 18 months in French oak, 70% new. The alcohol is 13.5%, and the pH is 3.33. LPB

The 2011 Rauzan-Ségla is a pretty little thing. It has a gentle but very appealing nose whose attractiveness creeps up on you: black fruit, briary, a hint of sandalwood and pressed flowers. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannin, a fine thread of acidity, très Margaux towards the second half with a feminine, unassuming personality that is just so elegant and refined without shortchanging on fruit. To put it simply, this is just a wine you want to drink rather than think too long about. Tasted at the CVBG tasting in London.

Lush and frankly ripe, with alluring plum sauce, fig paste and currant confiture flavors, layered with dark cocoa and black tea notes. The long, velvety finish has some serious latent grip. An impressive effort for the vintage. J.M.

[62CS/36M/2PV] Closed and minerally to smell but a dark ripe fruit behind; fairly concentrated wine, with a firm tannin and fresh acidity, a long term Rauzan style; deep, intense in flavour, pure in style with a dark, elegant, mouth coating fruit, subtle, complex very Cabernet Sauvignon in character and with excellent, gently spicy length. As with many, a slightly more masculine style. Very good, longish term. 2022-35+ [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2012]

Drink 2017-2026 Bright black cherry colour. Black core. A little dustiness over the dark pure fruit. Pretty dusty on the palate too with tannins rather dry, very dry on the finish. (JH)