Château Rauzan-Ségla, 2025

"Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate rim brightening. Candied violets, cassis, blackberry confit, delicate precious wood nuances, multifaceted, suggestive bouquet. Complex, after heart cherries, strawberries, extract-sweet texture, silky tannins, highly elegant, mineral, great length, great promise for the future, secure development potential."

"Showing a depth of color, at first, you are almost overwhelmed by the violets, cherries and tobacco in the perfume. The initial sip shows off its character with elegance, vitality, and purity. Everything is in balance and harmony here. The silk and velvet finish is almost too much of a good thing. From start to finish, the wine is seamless, and even though there is intensity and serious concentration, the wine feels almost weightless, making this deceptively easy to drink. Yet, don't be fooled. It has all the goods needed to age and evolve for decades. The wine blends of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon. 33% Merlot, 1.5% Petit Verdot and .5 Cabernet Franc. 13.5% ABV. 3.67 pH. Harvesting took place September 2 - September 24. Yield were 29 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2030-2070."

"Cassis, assorted red and black fruits, spicy wood, tobacco, and graphite all emerge from the 2025 Château Rauzan-Ségla, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1.5% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% Cabernet Franc that's being raised 18 months in 60% new French oak. It's concentrated on the palate, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, flawless balance, and a great finish. Checking in at 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.7, it's rockingly good and clearly up with the finest wines in the appellation, as well as the vintage."

"Divine violet, rose petal and peony floral fireworks accompany the shimmeringly beautiful dark berry and, predominently, cherry fruits. This is a little closed perhaps at first, even more so when tasted at the UGCB press tasting but much less so when re-tasted a third time at Cannon where it just sings! This exudes class and finesse with the most gorgeously soft, svelte, cashmere mouthfeel. It's quietly understated, though much more exuberant 10 days later, incredibly harmonious, and is a star of the appellation, even if it now faces very stiff competition from others."