Chateau Rauzan Segla   Chateau Rauzan Segla

1986 Chateau Rauzan-Segla

By Chateau Rauzan-Segla

1986 Chateau Rauzan-Segla from Chateau Rauzan-Segla, Margaux, Bordeaux

The 1986 vintage from Chateau Rauzan-Segla is a profound demonstration of the Margaux terroir's ability to yield wines of exceptional character and longevity. As one with a penchant for chronicling the evolution of Bordeaux's finest vintages, I find this particular offering to resonate with the sophisticated collector and discerning investor alike.

 

An Illustrious Vintage Portraying Elegance and Vigour

After four decades of impassioned observation, it's clear that the 1986 Chateau Rauzan-Segla boasts a vintage-specific nuance. The bouquet unravels with effortless grace, presenting dark fruits interlaced with undercurrents of cedar and subtle spice, which have melded harmoniously through years of careful cellaring. On the palate, the wine's structured tannins have developed a mellow sophistication, suggesting an immaculate storage and provenance. Its robust structure foreshadows an extension of its already lengthy life in bottle.

 

Investment Worthy: A Testament to Margaux’s Finesse

The '86 Margaux has navigated the throes of time with admirable finesse, offering a testament to its crafted excellence and proving continuously investment-worthy. The 1986 Chateau Rauzan-Segla captures the essence of what makes Margaux wines so desirable: complexity, balance, and a seemingly eternal vivaciousness.

It is not merely the heritage or the emblematic chateau that casts such wines in high regard amongst investors but their proven track record of flourishing value and peak performance in mature stages. This majestic 1986 bottle underscores that very narrative with an eloquence only found in those rare entities that transcend the mere passage of years.

In summary, the 1986 Chateau Rauzan-Segla from Chateau Rauzan-Segla stands as a distinguished player in the realm of fine wine. It is no wonder that as one traverses the ranks of Margaux's historical vintages, this resplendent 1986 bottling emerges as a pinnacle choice for both the connoisseur and investor, ready to grace cellars with its old-world charm infused with contemporary allure.

Current market price

$3,600.00

12x75cl

Highest score

92

POP score

180

Scores and tasting notes

92

The 1986 Rauzan-Segla is held up as one of the best wines of that decade. Now at 30 years old, it has an initially tightly wound bouquet that demands coaxing from the glass. It eventually offers exquisite aromas of small red cherries, cranberry jus, confit dates and briary, a hint of sandalwood tucked underneath. You would never describe the aromatics as "explosive" but it seems to gain in intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly savory entry. There is good structure here, but there is a sweet seam of fig and candied orange peel that to be honest, does not quite match the personality of the wine. My hunch is that this Rauzan-Segla is approaching the end of its drinking plateau, but any "decline" is going to be gradual and graceful. Drink now if you can, though I am certain large format bottles will have much more to offer. Tasted July 2016.

Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 30 December 2016

Vintage performance