iDealwine update: Château Rauzan Ségla

ON THE Left Bank, nestled in the heart of the Margaux appellation, Château Rauzan Ségla boasts almost 400 years of viticultural heritage. Pierre de Rauzan, a merchant and farmer whose ambition was to create the finest Bordeaux wines, acquired the house and a few surrounding parcels of vines. Initially Château Rauzan-Ségla and Rauzan Gassies’ vineyards were all part of the same property; on de Rauzan’s death in 1692, the property was split.

It changed hands several times during the 18thand 19 thcenturies. Along with Mouton Rothschild, Rauzan Ségla was considered a leading Bordeaux estate during the 19 thcentury, and was awarded Deuxième Grand Cru Classé status in the 1855 classification. However, while Mouton prospered into the 20 thcentury, Rauzan Ségla’s reputation dwindled, following a series of disappointing wines.

The château saw a turning point in the 1980s with the appointment of Professor Émile Peynaud as consultant. As well as increasing the proportion of new oak used to age the wines, the ratio of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend was increased, and in 1986, a new winery was built. The Wertheimer family, which owns Chanel, bought the estate in 1994, just as its renaissance was in full flow. The vineyards now span 45 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon (63%), Merlot (35%), and Cabernet Franc (2%). The estate’s mosaic of soils includes some excellent terroirs, with some vineyards bordering those of Château Margaux.

If ‘super second’ Rauzan Ségla embodies classicism, striking a subtle balance between structure and elegance, Canon represents its more sensual Right Bank counterpart. Standing on a limestone plateau in Saint-Émilion, Château Canon was named after Jacques Kanon, frigate lieutenant and corsair working for King Louis XV, who bought the estate in 1760. He only owned the château for a decade, but during this time expanded the vineyard and built the original château before selling to wine merchant Raymond Fontemoing. Château Canon became Premier Cru Classé (B) in 1954.

En primeur prices of Canon and Rauzan Ségla are among the most attractive on the Place de Bordeaux

In 1996, Chanel bought the estate and oversaw an extensive project to replant the vineyards and modernise the cuverie. More than half of the vineyards were pulled out and replanted. The estate now covers 34ha of walled vineyards, split between Saint-Émilion’s limestone plateau and its clay/loam slopes; the vineyards are made up of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc.

In the 20 years following Chanel’s acquisition of these two historic châteaux, significant efforts were made to restore them to their former splendour. This meant rigorous work in the vineyard and cellar, with hand harvesting, strict selection of fruit, single-plot vinifications and a more parsimonious approach to new oak. Winemaking at both Canon and Rauzan-Ségla is fairly traditional: the grapes ferment in a combination of temperature-controlled stainless steel and wooden vats before maturing for 18 months in oak barrels, of which around 60% is new oak.

AROMATIC BALANCE

With Canon and Rauzan Ségla alike, aromatic balance and freshness of fruit is the overarching goal. Both wines need cellaring to show their full potential, although Canon can be more approachable in its youth.

Mature Canon showcases the best of what top Saint-Émilions and Pomerols are capable of: voluptuous, round tannins, notes of redcurrant and chocolate and a fine mineral backbone. Aged Rauzan Ségla, on the other hand, is rich and savoury, offering aromas of cedar, ripe blackcurrant, and spices, with powerful tannins.

The owners’ background has also been useful in cementing the châteaux’s haute couture reputation. The label for the 2009 Rauzan Ségla was designed by Karl Lagerfeld, to celebrate not only a remarkable vintage but the 350th anniversary of the château. In 2015 Nicolas Audebert (formerly of Cheval des Andes in Argentina) took over from John Kolasa as director general of both properties.

En primeur prices of Canon and Rauzan Ségla are among the most attractive on the Place de Bordeaux, truly the holy grail of top-quality wine for accessible prices. For the 2021 en primeur campaign that has just finished, they were one of few to decrease their prices, by 6% and 10% respectively. Considering the previous campaign’s prices were already judged as among the fairest and most accurate on the market, there is remarkable value to be found in Canon and Rauzan Ségla, and a real difference between the en primeur price and the price one can expect in the short to medium term.

Canon and Rauzan Ségla have become a staple of iDealwine auctions, and a growing number of collectors are vying for both estate’s best vintages. All recent vintages of Château Rauzan Ségla sell for at least €100 (£86), while certain historic vintages, for instance the 1990 and 1961, now go for at least €200.

The 2015 and 2016 vintages of Canon are the estate’s most successful, selling for €135 and €186 respectively. Last year the 1982 reached over €200, and many other vintages are hesitantly increasing in market value. In many cases, auction prices of Canon vintages have tripled in the space of less than 10 years. Yet those prices remain a bargain if you take a closer look at retail prices.

If the sale prices are for now fairly modest, both Canon and Rauzan Ségla have firmly positioned themselves as ones to watch on the secondary market, and we at iDealwine have no doubt that their releases will prove to be worthwhile investments.