Is Rauzan Segla the deal of 2009?

[Bacchus]

I came to this question by way of Brane Cantenac. After reading HWSRN's remarks on BC, I noticed that here in Canada the 09 is near double the price of the 08. That puts it almost at the same level as Rauzan Segla! I then recalled what other super second and super second wannabes have done with their 2009 pricing: the two Pichons, Cos d'Estournel, Pontet Canet, Lynch Bages, Montrose, even Calon Segur. RS is certainly not cheap, but it is way better priced than the rest of this group. And if scoring is an issue, it is right up there. Neal Martin scores it 96-98, James Suckling 97, Jancis 17.5+, and Robert gave it a 93+ after scoring it 92-95 back in barrel. So I ask, is it the deal of the vintage? At least amongst 2nd growths?

[OrlandoRobert]

Only in our little bizzaro universe where $120 is a deal for a bottle of wine!

At that price, it will need to knock my socks off!

The Suckking score would have been an outlier for me but for Martin. Suckling is DTM.

[Bacchus]

Hey BobbyO, what did the Sucker ever do to you? He didn't beat BobbyG to your wife, did he?

[JimHow]

The Sucker once called me "vicious," perhaps the greatest moment in my 15 year history of Internet wine blogging.

[Bacchus]

He called you vicious? You know him? Or some board conversation? What did you do to warrant such an attack on your fine character?

[JimHow]

Omg it's a long, long story ....
Many a BWE here saw it all unfold, it was one of the greatest moments of my life.

[OrlandoRobert]

Hey BobbyO, what did the Sucker ever do to you? He didn't beat BobbyG to your wife, did he?

He shattered my dreams, Bacchus. He told me there was no Santa!

It was 1992, and I was a wee little lad fresh out of law school. Charting my own course in life. The umbilical chord cut. On my own, so to speak. I was chasing dreams, chasing points. And he comes out with a 96-100 barrel tasting note from a 1989 Pomerol that was then in ill-repute, Clos l'Eglise. My colleague and I each bought a case. We wanted that 100. We felt it, we could taste it. And we could afford it. So deep we plunged, and waited, then waited, then waited further. Suckling never scored it again. I think Parker gave it a 79. It was struck from the Wine Spectator records. A horrible miss white-washed. Oh was it bad. My buddy and I called it Clos l'Piss. It was that bad.

And then after the '95 vintage calls from him, I was done. Leave aside his pretentiousness, false accent and gross over-prononciation of French words, I could take it no more. I'm just a humble country lawyer from the sticks of cow town Orlando. I cancelled my WS subscription in 1997/98 and then shortly thereafter, my subscription to Uncle Bobby. Now I'm just an internet troller that happened to stumble across this wonderful site through the guidance of my moral compass, BobbyGoulet. Yea he's young and brash, compares wine to panties and sex, but with that huge schnozz of his, he's quite the good taster. I have found a friend . . . . Plus, his wife is HOT.

So has anyone here actually had the 09 or 10 Rauzan Segla?

[Bacchus]

You're a humble country lawyer?! I thought Jim was the humble country lawyer. Am I sensing a meme?

As for Mr. Suckling, you need to cut the guy a break. Nobody's right all the time. Anyways, wine was cheap back then. Whadda pay for that case of undernourished turtle piss, a couple of bucks!?

Haven't tasted any of the Rauzan Segla yet. I discovered the pricing issue in plotting out a potential buying strategy.

[Bacchus]

Jim, does that story about you and Jim -- 2 Jims -- appear in some earlier thread?

[JimHow]

Sadly I think that thread is lost to cyberspace, Bacchus, it is gone forever, existing only in our fond memories.

It was a classic, though.

It involved one of those ever so important, world-changing issues: Jimmy's former banning from Leoville Las Cases when the old man used to run the place.

The Sucker has actually been out of my doghouse for some time now, I've watched a lot of his videos, he actually cracks me up. He's still arrogant but there is kind of a mirth to him that I find amusing, I could actually picture him hanging out at a BWE event.

[OrlandoRobert]

You're a humble country lawyer?! I thought Jim was the humble country lawyer. Am I sensing a meme?

As for Mr. Suckling, you need to cut the guy a break. Nobody's right all the time. Anyways, wine was cheap back then. Whadda pay for that case of undernourished turtle piss, a couple of bucks!?

Haven't tasted any of the Rauzan Segla yet. I discovered the pricing issue in plotting out a potential buying strategy.

How is Maine "country"? Orlando is "country". Jim is the clear Imposter, or is that, Imposeur!?!

I picture Jim wearing an ascot, holding a stogie and a fine cognac snifter. I'm in shorts right now.

And you are right, I'm too hard on little Suckling!

[JimHow]

Hey don't forget Orlando, I've been both a country lawyer AND country politician, does it get any better that that!

[Chateau Vin]

I came to this question by way of Brane Cantenac. After reading HWSRN's remarks on BC, I noticed that here in Canada the 09 is near double the price of the 08. That puts it almost at the same level as Rauzan Segla! I then recalled what other super second and super second wannabes have done with their 2009 pricing: the two Pichons, Cos d'Estournel, Pontet Canet, Lynch Bages, Montrose, even Calon Segur. RS is certainly not cheap, but it is way better priced than the rest of this group. And if scoring is an issue, it is right up there. Neal Martin scores it 96-98, James Suckling 97, Jancis 17.5+, and Robert gave it a 93+ after scoring it 92-95 back in barrel. So I ask, is it the deal of the vintage? At least amongst 2nd growths?

May be not a deal of vintage, but for me, it is the best I tasted from Margaux. Admittedly, I have not tasted palmer, margaux, et al, but it topped my tasting from the Margaux appellation. I remember it being quite a nose with rose petals, rich currants, violets and a bit if licorice. Nice velvety, rich and concentrated in the mouth. So much so that I got some as futures...Although I felt 2010 was a bit disappointment, Segla topped the other chateaux in the percentage increase of release price...I think they jacked up the 2010 price so much that it was one of the top three in jacking up the price wrt to their 09...

[JimHow]

The 2009 Rausan Segla is $160 in New Hampshire, that's not a deal for me.

[OrlandoRobert]

The 2009 Rausan Segla is $160 in New Hampshire, that's not a deal for me.

Ouch.

Curious to try it but that price hurts

[Chateau Vin]

The 2009 Rausan Segla is $160 in New Hampshire, that's not a deal for me.

Wow, I think I got it for 89 JJs a while back...I did not know the price went up that much in NH. At JJs, it is at 109 currently...

[Chateau Vin]

The Sucker has actually been out of my doghouse for some time now, I've watched a lot of his videos, he actually cracks me up. He's still arrogant but there is kind of a mirth to him that I find amusing, I could actually picture him hanging out at a BWE event.

Cracks you up Jim? He is the butt of tasting jokes... At times, his tasting notes are so hilarious. Instead of describing what's in the glass, half the time he describes silly things...."What a nose"...."beautiful"..."stylish side of st julien"..."Wham"..."Bam".."Beauty"...and to top it off, "Spice Rack"...

Anyhow, is this the thread you are talking about?

http://forums.winespectator.com/eve/for ... 107972/p/1

[JimHow]

I can't believe you found that CV!
Just skimmed through it.
Ah the memories!
Wow!
I just saw a Bacchus in that thread, was that you Bacchus?
I actually thought the Sucker gave me a good response.
Hard to believe if has been eight years since that thread.
Crazy!

[JimHow]

I had forgotten about the nasty email Thomas Matthews sent me.
Man was he pissed. God was I such an asshole back in those days!

[Harry C.]

Jim, if I recall Bacchus was the nom de computer for Russell Bevan.

[Bacchus]

Chateau Vin has put me in a rough spot -- I gotta go out so won't be able to read that old Wine Spectator thread until later. I only decided to post as I'm on my way out the door to say -- $160 for Rauzan Segla?! Oh my, I think someone here has made a boo boo in the pricing. Canadian prices are normally anywhere between US price + 50% and fully double; some even a bit more than double. RS is $160 here too. That's gotta be a pricing error. Excuse me while I go and take advantage of the government.

[JimHow]

Ah ok.
Did we ever get any scoop on why Suckling left Wine Spectator?

[Chateau Vin]

Chateau Vin has put me in a rough spot -- I gotta go out so won't be able to read that old Wine Spectator thread until later. I only decided to post as I'm on my way out the door to say -- $160 for Rauzan Segla?! Oh my, I think someone here has made a boo boo in the pricing. Canadian prices are normally anywhere between US price + 50% and fully double; some even a bit more than double. RS is $160 here too. That's gotta be a pricing error. Excuse me while I go and take advantage of the government.

That was not my intention Bacchus...At least we have a forum, where we have a heated discussion about the actaul subject matter instead of ad hominem attacks..

[Bacchus]

I realize, I was actually on my way out to meet some friends at Starbucks! Where my last post is concerned, I was just being opportunistic; nothing serious. The one thing I can confirm is that I am not Russell Bevan.

[Bacchus]

Well that took a long time to read. Just who is that Mouton guy? My favourite part had to be the very last entry where after all that spit and venom some guy asks for the url for this site? Too funny. Oh ya, Jim, what was the better year, 95 or 96?

[Bacchus]

I offer the following as a comment on that "debate" over JS from long ago on the Wine Spectator's site:
http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2 ... machinery/

[JimHow]

Lol. You'll have to ask Stefan about the man known here as Le Roi de Mouton. I used to defend his right here to be an asshole but in the end there were just to many BWEers fed up with him. I think both 1995 and 1996 are strong vintages but if course 1996L is the greatest ever, better even than 2002L.

[JimHow]

We need to get him to a BWE convention!
I'm going to invite him early and often to NYC '14!

[pomilion]

I came to this question by way of Brane Cantenac. After reading HWSRN's remarks on BC, I noticed that here in Canada the 09 is near double the price of the 08. That puts it almost at the same level as Rauzan Segla! I then recalled what other super second and super second wannabes have done with their 2009 pricing: the two Pichons, Cos d'Estournel, Pontet Canet, Lynch Bages, Montrose, even Calon Segur. RS is certainly not cheap, but it is way better priced than the rest of this group. And if scoring is an issue, it is right up there. Neal Martin scores it 96-98, James Suckling 97, Jancis 17.5+, and Robert gave it a 93+ after scoring it 92-95 back in barrel. So I ask, is it the deal of the vintage? At least amongst 2nd growths?

Back to the original question -- I've had '09 Rauzan Segla and it's a nice wine but didn't blow me away. I'd put it in the top 15 or so wines at the UGC tasting but it wasn't in my top tier. How expensive are '09 Malescot ($110 in the States), Grand Puy Lacoste ($80-90) and Gruaud Larose ($80-90) in Canada? All three are as good or better than RS imo and worth considering at that general price level. Neil Martin's latest RS score, btw, is 95, still excellent (in Neil's scoring universe at least...) but lower than his initial projected range.

[Bacchus]

Ah yes, thread drift! Thanks Pomilion. In this part of Canada Malescot is more expensive that the Rauzan Sigla. I have a few bottles of the GPL on the way, which cost slightly less than the RS. For some reason there is no 09 GL available. I'm not sure if that means it was all presold, or if the Government simply didn't bring it in (which would be weird since they have otherwise always brought GL in). However, as a lover of good Margaux, I think I'm morally obligated to at least try a bottle of the Rauzan Segla.

[RDD]

Hey BobbyO, what did the Sucker ever do to you? He didn't beat BobbyG to your wife, did he?

He shattered my dreams, Bacchus. He told me there was no Santa!

It was 1992, and I was a wee little lad fresh out of law school. Charting my own course in life. The umbilical chord cut. On my own, so to speak. I was chasing dreams, chasing points. And he comes out with a 96-100 barrel tasting note from a 1989 Pomerol that was then in ill-repute, Clos l'Eglise. My colleague and I each bought a case. We wanted that 100. We felt it, we could taste it. And we could afford it. So deep we plunged, and waited, then waited, then waited further. Suckling never scored it again. I think Parker gave it a 79. It was struck from the Wine Spectator records. A horrible miss white-washed. Oh was it bad. My buddy and I called it Clos l'Piss. It was that bad.

And then after the '95 vintage calls from him, I was done. Leave aside his pretentiousness, false accent and gross over-prononciation of French words, I could take it no more. I'm just a humble country lawyer from the sticks of cow town Orlando. I cancelled my WS subscription in 1997/98 and then shortly thereafter, my subscription to Uncle Bobby. Now I'm just an internet troller that happened to stumble across this wonderful site through the guidance of my moral compass, BobbyGoulet. Yea he's young and brash, compares wine to panties and sex, but with that huge schnozz of his, he's quite the good taster. I have found a friend . . . . Plus, his wife is HOT.

So has anyone here actually had the 09 or 10 Rauzan Segla?

The Wine Spectator f'd up the whole 1989 vintage review. I can't think of any wine they actually got right. But there are tons of them they got wong.