1986 CHÂTEAU RAUSAN SEGLA 1986

Tom Cannavan (01-2015)
From the moment this wine is uncorked the bouquet is heavenly, wafting from the glass with a melange of exotic incense spices, Sandalwood and jasmine, then sweet damp earth, graphite and finally a bold and glossy pool of black cherry and cassis. It is, in short, sensational. On the palate there is absolutely no disappointment. Graceful and elegant, it is at the same time just crammed with essence of black fruits, the tartness and the sweetness of biting through a ripe plum into the sweet flesh, a background of earth, gravel and minerals, and yet sweet woodsmoke and tobacco swirl through it too. Light at only 12.5% alcohol, yet substantial, it is almost gravity defying in its lift and perfect balance into a long, beautifully focused finish. One of my great Bordeaux experiences.

(01-1998)
An extraordinary success for this estate (and also the finest wine they produced in the decade of the eighties), the 1986 remains extremely backward. It reveals an impressively saturated dark purple color, followed by a tight but promising nose of sweet blackberries, cassis, licorice, earth, and smoke. Full-bodied and excruciatingly tannic, with layers of concentration, this exceptionally endowed wine is still an infant in terms of its evolution. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2030.

(09-2007)