92++ points
Classy. Shares the vintage character with its Margaux neighbours; a rather successful vintage for Margaux.
Dense fruit enveloped in sawdust oak. Great balance. Lovely finish with just a hint of the sort of sweet character that will open up with age. A wine with a very long future in front of it. Should be lovely in 2020-2030. Potentially great.
84 points
Fairly unexciting claret. Nice weight good colour but without great character or flair.
89+ points
Margaux. 12.5%
Good, fine, intellectual rather than sensuous wine due to the prominent acidity. Acidity is part of the Chateau style, but will this ever turn into something as sublime as the 1985? I wouldn’t bet on it.
92 points
Coonawarra & Barossa, South Australia. 13.5%
Consumed in Bordeaux France alongside some great claret (Rauzan-Segla 85 and Haut-Bailly 88).
It seems such a strange wine. It’s not the Shiraz as the Cabernet is dominant. It’s the added acidity, the oak (which must be American) and the slight mintiness.
The nose is gorgeous, by far the best feature.
It’s a good wine but I can see why collectors like me favor Bordeaux in their cellars.
91 points
Pessac-Leognan. 12.5%
Nice claret. Quite voluptuous with a good dose of French oak. Bigger than I’d expected for 1988.
Slightly short and a little over-whelmed by the company of Rauzan-Segla 1985.
90 points
Margaux. 12.8%
Second wine of Chateau Rauzan-Segla from a good vintage but unlikely that it was meant to last 20 years.
Surprisingly dark colour. A large framed Merlot oriented claret, becoming a bit frail with obvious oxidation. Quite a lot of fun drinking now.
Slightly spirity even though it’s only 12.8% alcohol.
This was bought from a wine store called Uylsses in Margaux owned by Rauzan-Segla. This no doubt largely explains the good condition of the bottle.
96 points
Margaux. 12.5%
A truly gorgeous wine. This is one of the greatest wines I have ever tried.
Light appetizing. Classic claret. Marked by fresh acidity even now at 25 years old.
I tasted a vintage around this date as a young inexperienced wine drinker and was unimpressed by its lack of body. Now I think this style is superb. Concentrated, complex, ripe but on a fine lithe frame.
UPDATE 2012 – I have been fortunate to have been able to source a number of bottles of this wine. Tonight I’m trying what will probably be my last. I’m firmly convinced that this style of wine could not be made without the low alcohol and greenness that is part of the mix. It convinces me to buy great estates in the non investment (super ripe) vintages.
I wish I could drink wine like this every night.
