Château Rauzan-Gassies
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Château Rauzan-Gassies is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Rauzan-Gassies is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.
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[edit] History
Rauzan-Gassies began as part of the vast Rauzan estate owned by Pierre de Mesures de Rauzan in the mid-17th century. Over time this estate was divided, and by the time of the 1855 Classification, had been separated into the estates of Rauzan-Gassies, Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Desmirail, and Château Marquis de Terme. The estate was purchased by the Quié family in 1945 and remains in their holdings.
[edit] Vineyard
Château Rauzan-Gassies consists of about 30 hectares of vines planted on the sandy-gravel soil typical to the Margaux appellation. The plantings are divided up as Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), 25% Merlot (25%), and Cabernet Franc (10%). As one would expect given the estate's history, the vineyards neighbor châteaux are Rausan-Ségla and Marquis de Terme.
[edit] The Wine
Fermentation of the wine takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks for about three weeks, after which the wine is aged for 14 to 18 months in oak barrels, 25% of which are new oak. Reviews from wine critics such as Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson would indicate that this wine performed significantly below its classification status for decades. Recent efforts have been better.
