What a decadent nose, with strawberry pie, cream, vanilla, and exotic fruits. Almost new world in style. Full and round, with minty, bright fruits on the palate. Long and wonderful, exciting and fresh. A real beauty. Closes down a little bit, but this is still a big surprise. Pull the cork after 2015.

This is a great wine. The winemaking team, headed by chateau director John Kolasa, has taken advantage of the heat of 2003 and the fact that Rauzan-Ségla has a great vineyard. They have crafted a densely tannic wine that, at its heart, retains a cool elegance. There is great fruit, blackcurrants, and acidity which adds to the sense of poise with power. Imported by Diageo Chateau & Estates. — Roger Voss

I loved the 2003 Rauzan-Ségla. It’s from a scorching hot vintage, but it has stayed beautifully balanced and has loads to love. Based on 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it offers a complex, resolved bouquet of ripe black fruits, smoke tobacco, fruitcake, and incense. Medium to full-bodied, downright sexy, complex, and nuanced, it’s drinking at point today. It’s not going to get any better, but it will certainly hold nicely for another 8-10 years.

Fascinating aromas of berry, currant and toasted oak. Crushed dark fruits. Full-bodied and chewy with plenty of berry and vanilla flavors. Slowly builds on the palate, with big velvety tannins and a long finish. This is tight and tannic needing plenty of bottle age. Best after 2011. 7,915 cases made.

The heatwave year has lent a telltale ripeness to the fruits here, along with its warm character of exotic spices and tender, fully ripened tannins. The alcohol is relatively low, suggesting possible blockages of ripeness which may be responsible for the slight green notes that are actually quite welcome, balancing the fleshy fig and damson fruits. There's still some juice running through the whole thing and it has kept its balance, although it will not age as well as some other vintages. I would say that John Kolasa, director at the time, played this very well. Picked 10 September to 22 September, with a 30hl/ha yield. 55% new oak.

Soft ruby colour, crushed raspberry fruit on the nose, fresh acidities that keep things elevated through the palate, allowing the coffee bean, liqourice, bitter almond and undergrowth to appear in waves. This is ready to drink, but still has good tannic structure and character, 55% new oak, 30hl/h yield. Harvest September 4 to 22. John Kolasa director.

Deep garnet-brick colored, the 2003 Rauzan-Ségla reveals notes of espresso, cigar box, sandalwood and leather over a core of raisin cake, prunes and potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, the palate possesses a lot of mature fruit with a chewy frame and compelling herbal sparks that come through on the long finish. The blend this year is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, harvested between September 4th and 22nd at an average yield of 30 hectoliters per hectare. It was aged for 18 months in French oak, 55% new. The alcohol is 12.5%. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown