Château Rauzan-Ségla
Encyclopedia
Château Rauzan-Ségla, or Château Rausan-Ségla, is a winery
in the Margaux
appellation
of the Bordeaux
region of France
. Château Rauzan-Ségla is also the name of the red wine
produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
. The alternate name "Rausan-Ségla" was also frequently used until 1994 when the original "Rauzan-Ségla" again became the official name.
in the mid-17th century. Over time, this estate was divided, and by the time of the 1855 Classification, had been separated into the estates of Château Rauzan-Gassies
, Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Desmirail
, and Château Marquis de Terme
.
After a long ownership by the Durand-Dasier family, the estate was acquired by Frédéric Cruse of the Cruse family in 1903 who held ownership until 1957, ande until 1989 it belonged to the Liverpool shipping of John Holt. By 1982 the estate had hired the consultant services of Émile Peynaud, and in 1989 the property was purchased by the present owner Brent Walker. Whatever plans he had, however, they were not to bear fruit; in 1994 he sold the estate on to the Wertheimer family of Chanel, who installed a winemaking team led by David Orr (from Chateau Latour) and John Kolasa. Chanel remain the current owners, and they are credited with continuing to push the quality ever higher.
extends 51 hectares (126 acre) with the grape variety distribution of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon
, 35% Merlot
and 2% each of Cabernet Franc
and Petit Verdot
.
The grand vin is Château Rauzan-Ségla, with an annual production of 8000 cases, and the surplus wine is destined for the second wine
named Ségla.
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
in the Margaux
Margaux
Margaux is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Geography:The village lies in the Haut Médoc wine making region on the left bank of the Garonne estuary, northwest of the city of Bordeaux.-Population:-Wines:...
appellation
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
of the Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Château Rauzan-Ségla is also the name of the red wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 resulted from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, when Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines which were to be on display for visitors from around the world...
. The alternate name "Rausan-Ségla" was also frequently used until 1994 when the original "Rauzan-Ségla" again became the official name.
History
Rauzan-Ségla was once part of the vast Rausan estate owned by Pierre de Mesures de RauzanPierre de Rauzan
Pierre de Rauzan was a Bordeaux wine merchant. He served as estate manager of Château Latour. In the 1690s he began buying land in the Médoc near the village of Pauillac.-Legacy:...
in the mid-17th century. Over time, this estate was divided, and by the time of the 1855 Classification, had been separated into the estates of Château Rauzan-Gassies
Château Rauzan-Gassies
Château Rauzan-Gassies is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Rauzan-Gassies is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Desmirail
Château Desmirail
Château Desmirail is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. -History:...
, and Château Marquis de Terme
Château Marquis de Terme
Château Marquis de Terme is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. -History:...
.
After a long ownership by the Durand-Dasier family, the estate was acquired by Frédéric Cruse of the Cruse family in 1903 who held ownership until 1957, ande until 1989 it belonged to the Liverpool shipping of John Holt. By 1982 the estate had hired the consultant services of Émile Peynaud, and in 1989 the property was purchased by the present owner Brent Walker. Whatever plans he had, however, they were not to bear fruit; in 1994 he sold the estate on to the Wertheimer family of Chanel, who installed a winemaking team led by David Orr (from Chateau Latour) and John Kolasa. Chanel remain the current owners, and they are credited with continuing to push the quality ever higher.
Production
The Rauzan-Ségla vineyardVineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
extends 51 hectares (126 acre) with the grape variety distribution of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, 35% Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
and 2% each of Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
and Petit Verdot
Petit verdot
Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the...
.
The grand vin is Château Rauzan-Ségla, with an annual production of 8000 cases, and the surplus wine is destined for the second wine
Second wine
Second wine is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in the Grand vin or first label...
named Ségla.