Château RAUZAN-GASSIES 2020
Château Rauzan-Gassies is located in the Margaux appellation area, in the Bordeaux wine region. It was classified Second Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification. In the 18th century, the property was part of the vast domain of Rauzan which, in 1855, was divided into castles Rauzan-Gassies, Rauzan-Ségla, Desmirail and Marquis de Terme. Since 1945, Rauzan-Gassies has been owned by the Quié family , who also own Bel Orme and Croizet-Bages. The vineyard extends over 28 hectares, surrounded by forests, meadows and palus (Medoc marshes) to preserve the local fauna and flora.
Rauzan-Gassies 2020 is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (73%) supplemented with Merlot (27%) . Vinification takes place in stainless steel vats of 12 to 150 hectoliters to optimize parcel selection. The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels , 50% of which are new.
For Bordeaux, the 2020 vintage promises to be excellent, despite one of the most trying years in recent history. The Covid-19 pandemic posed various challenges during the growing season, harvest and en prime campaign, as new sanitary protocols had to be observed. Although the growing season saw some rain, it was the dry spells that took over, concentrating the grapes and creating a harvest with the potential to produce rich, intense wines . Overall yields were slightly below average, but fruit was generally healthy and of high quality .
Grapes: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot