Chateau Rauzan-Gassies

Margaux

 

Classification:

Second-growth 1855

 

Vineyards (red):

Surface area: 74 acres

Average age of vines: 25 years

Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc

Density of plantation: 10,000 vines per hectare

Average yields (over the last 5 years): 40 hectoliters per hectare

Total average annual production: 12,500 cases

 

Grand Vin (red):

Brand name: Chateau Rauzan-Gassies

Appellation: Margaux

Mean annual production: 12,500 cases

Upbringing: Grapes are hand-picked. Fermentations last about 3 weeks in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, with frequent pumping-overs and addition of yeasts. Wines are afterward transferred to oak barrels, of which 25% are new, for 14-18 months aging. They are fined and filtered prior to bottling. No press wine is added into the grand vin.

 

"The vineyards of Rauzan-Gassies are situated on alluvial terraces. Sixty percent of them are situated just around the chateau itself, and the remaining vineyards (gravelly soils) border Chateau Margaux, Palmer, and Lascombes."

 

"In style, Rauzan-Gassies tends toward heaviness and corpulence for a Margaux, without the fragranceor finesse normally associated with the better wines of this commune. However, it can make fairly concentrated, powerful wines. In most vintages, the wines of Rauzan-Gassies have reached maturity surprisingly fast for a classified growth, usually within 7-8 years of the vintage."

 

Robert M. Parker Jr.

 

Chateau Rauzan-Gassies 1995       

(2º Growth)

Wine Spectator: “Glorious aromas of violets and fruit, with hints of vanilla.  Full-bodied, with fine tannins and an ultralong finish.  Best after 2002.”

 

Rated 91

Wine Spectator

 

Chateau Rauzan-Gassies 1996       

(2º Grand Cru Classe)

 

Rated 85-89 Wine Spectator
Rated 89-91 Wine Magazine