Extremely perfumed and pretty for the vintage with rose petal, currant, berry and hints of citrus. Medium to full body, firm tannins and refreshing acidity. Flavorful and bright.

Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2013 Rauzan-Ségla gives up notes of warm plums, Morello cherries, cassis and espresso with hints of dried Provence herbs, woodsmoke and damp soil. Medium bodied, the palate gives lovely freshness and bags of earth-laced red and black fruits with a chewy texture and a lively herbal lift on the finish.

The blend this year is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, harvested between September 22nd and October 16th, at an average yield of 32 hectoliters per hectare. It was aged for 18 months in French oak, 60% new. The alcohol is 13.5%, and the pH is 3.5. LPB

The 2013 Rauzan-Ségla is one of the brawnier wines I tasted in Margaux. Black cherries, plums, smoke, tobacco and menthol wrap around the palate. Savory and floral notes appear later, adding aromatic nuance. The 2013 impresses for the purity of its fruit and its overall balance. All the signatures are in place, but in miniature, which suggests the 2013 is likely to be a medium term drinker. The blend is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Taste twice.

The 2013 Rauzan-Ségla proves that this disparaged vintage should not be written off. It has a refined bouquet with the same blackberry and briary scents I observed just after bottling, nothing complex but it conveys the sense of "Margaux". The palate is medium-bodied with lighter tannins than the 2012, simple yet fresh with slightly dusty black fruit and an easy-going Merlot-driven finish. There is nothing wrong with this wine at all - just do not concern yourself with cellaring it for a long time. Tasted from a bottle from my own cellar.

Focused, with a light juniper edge guiding the enticing core of plum, black currant and black tea notes along. A fine-grained structure carries the finish. Nicely done for the vintage. JM