One of the undercover value gems of 2012, “L’Orme de Rauzan-Gassies” is cause for mass celebration: Not only does it come from a cherished terroir within the longstanding noble village of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, it’s backed by Margaux Second Growth Château Rauzan-Gassies and skillfully crafted by the greatest name in French enology, Eric Boissenot.
This is exactly what any sommelier and vinophile could ever want in a top 2012 Bordeaux, and it all comes in below the $30 mark. Better yet, this is not too young, not too old—the proverbial “sweet spot” that finds the most traction and enjoys the greatest feedback amongst collectors. And, with its limited presence in the states—good luck finding it anywhere—it becomes even more desirable. Like a penny stock about to rocket skyward, there’s too much pedigree, flavor, and elegance packed into this superbly valued “L’Orme de Rauzan-Gassies” to miss out.
Rauzan-Gassies origins date back to the mid 1600s, where it existed as the massive, unhyphenated ‘Rauzan’ estate. Over the following centuries, the château saw a great deal of fragmentation and by the Bordeaux Classification of 1855, it had given birth to other renowned châteaux such as Second Growth Rauzan-Segla, Third Growth Desmirail, and Fourth Growth Marquis de Terme. And, of course, Rauzan-Gassies was also rewarded—with Second Growth status. Another milestone came in the following century, following the aftermath of World War II, when Rauzan-Gassies was acquired by the Quié family. Since that time, they have poured in money and grueling work to revitalize this once glorified estate. Their wherewithal shines brightly in today’s offer.
Though the Haut-Médoc stretches over several communes, Rauzan-Gassies’ 35-year-old, gravelly-sand vineyard for “L’Orme” sits entirely in Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, a small village located less than a mile from the Gironde estuary, just north of Saint-Estèphe. This site is in the immediate company of several low-flying superstars. Among them is one of the greatest underrated labels in all of Bordeaux: Sociando-Mallet, an unclassified producer that has outperformed many First Growth labels in blind tastings!
Eric Boissenot, whom Jancis Robinson refers to as “Bordeaux's secret ingredient,” is at the helm of Rauzan-Gassies’ winemaking. As mentioned countless times on this site—and a something we will never not mention—serious vinophiles may know Eric as the consulting enologist at four of the five First Growths (Latour, Margaux, Lafite, Mouton), and many other prominent châteaux. Third Growth Château Lagrange has even gone on record stating that Eric and his small team “make the greatest wines of the world.”
In 2012, Boissenot’s talent was much needed, for those who were not equipped with a world-class enologist suffered Mother Nature’s wrath. A bitingly cold and waterlogged spring was met with a summer of the exact opposite extreme: intense heat and drought. Following a brief spell of rain in September, Eric proceeded with harvesting his Merlot and Cabernet—about a week apart—after a scrupulous double sorting in both the vineyard and winery. He had this to say about his hand-harvested crop: “The Merlot grapes quickly revealed remarkable flesh of a rare quality” and the Cabernet Sauvignon “faithfully expressed our Médoc terroir with delightful elegance and finesse.” In the winery, the varieties fermented separately in concrete vats and subsequently aged in mostly neutral French barrels for 12 months.
“L’Orme de Rauzan-Gassies” displays an opaque black-ruby core moving out to a dazzling bright ruby rim. The nose is gorgeously high-toned, oozing dried black raspberry, plums, black cherry blossoms, and cassis, all fortified by a thundering array of bay leaf, dusty earth, tobacco and wet gravel; in a blind tasting, it could not be anything other than quality Bordeaux. The Merlot plays beautiful notes here, full of fresh and polished fruits that are buttressed by the firm structure of Cabernet. It’s bold with underlying mineral power, delicate spice, and earthy savor that is softened throughout by plush black/red fruit. Again, with a world-class enologist and the pedigree of a Second Growth château, this $29 Bordeaux is a celebrity in street clothes. Drink in large Bordeaux stems now after a 30 minute decant and open your remaining bottles periodically over the next 5-7 years. Definitely enjoy this classic red with a classic dish: The attached beef daube recipe is about as close as you can get to the Bordelais lifestyle—it’s the post-harvest celebratory meal (“gerbaude”) Château Lynch-Bages makes for their hard workers. Cheers!
