Château Rauzan-Ségla

The château

Pierre Desmezures de Rauzan bought the Maison Noble de Gassies in 1661 and gave it his name. In the 18th century the property was divided, which is why 2 second growths of Margaux share a name and sit side by side in the list of 1855; Rauzan-Ségla is the larger of the 2. The trade took its measure early. André Jullien, the Paris wine merchant whose Topographie de tous les vignobles connus of 1816 surveyed the vineyards of the world, opened his second class with the clos Rozan, whose wines, he wrote, had all the qualities of Château Margaux without being as perfect. William Franck, whose Traité sur les vins du Médoc first appeared in 1824, already showed the land split among 3 owners, de Ségla, Descage and Pelier, though his classification still ranked a single Rauzan among the seconds; his edition of 1845 printed the 2 halves under their modern names, Rauzan de Ségla at 40 to 50 tonneaux (the old Bordeaux measure of a crop, 900 liters, or 4 barrels) and Rauzan Gassies at 30 to 40.

The Chanel group, owned by the Wertheimer family, bought the estate in 1994 and holds it still; in 2011 it marked 350 years. Nicolas Audebert directs it. The vineyard lies on a Quaternary terrace of clay and gravel in 3 soils, argilo-calcaires, graves profondes and graves fines. It runs to 70 hectares, planted 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, and it is certified organic from the 2024 vintage. About 100,000 bottles are made a year, aged 18 months in oak, half of it new, and Ségla is the second wine.

Even in a difficult year the house holds its line. The 2021, which I tasted in November 2025, came from a cool vintage and still gave bright aromatics, fine structure and an elegance true to Margaux.

At a glance

Appellation

Margaux

Classification

Deuxième Cru Classé 1855; Michelin Guide, 1 grape (2026)

Owner

The Chanel group, of the Wertheimer family, since 1994

Direction

Nicolas Audebert

Vineyard

70 hectares

Soil

A Quaternary terrace of clay and gravel: argilo-calcaires, graves profondes, graves fines Terroir of Margaux →

Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon 53%, Merlot 43%, Petit Verdot 3%, Cabernet Franc 1%

Farming

Certified organic from the 2024 vintage

Cellar

18 months in oak, 50% new

Production

About 100,000 bottles a year

Wines

Château Rauzan-Ségla; Ségla

In history

Head of Jullien’s second class in 1816; printed apart from Rauzan-Gassies from 1845