Château Rauzan Gassies 'Grand Cru Classé' Margaux 1940

Château Rauzan-Gassies 'Grand Cru Classé' Margaux 1940

1. Introduction

The Château Rauzan-Gassies 1940 is a historic red wine from the Margaux appellation, classifiedas a Deuxième Grand Cru Classé in the famous 1855 Bordeaux classification. The 1940 vintage dates from the Second World War and is now an extremely rare collector’s wine.

2. The Château Rauzan-Gassies estate

2.1 History

The estate’s origins date back to the Middle Ages, when the ‘Maison Noble de Gassies’ was founded in the Médoc. Pierre de Rauzan, a merchant at the Place de Bordeaux and steward of Château Margaux, acquired the seigneury and its vineyards at the start of the reign of Louis XIV (around 1661). Thanks to his expertise in viticulture, he elevated the estate within thirty years to become the leading second growth in the commune of Margaux.

Over time, the originally vast Rauzan estate was divided on several occasions . By the time of the 1855 classification, the former estate had already given rise to several independent châteaux, including not only Rauzan-Gassies, but also Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Marquis de Terme and even Château Desmirail.

After the Second World War, in 1946, Château Rauzan-Gassies was acquired by the Quié family. The descendants of Paul Quié, the twins Anne-Françoise and Jean-Philippe, continue to run the estate to this day. The family also owns Château Croizet-Bages in Pauillac and Château Bel Orme Tronquoy de Lalande.

2.2 Vineyard and winemaking

The estate comprises around 28 to 30 hectares of vineyards in the Margaux appellation. The soils consist of deep gravel and sandy-gravel deposits – the typical glacial gravel soils of Margaux and Cantenac, which overlie the Gironde. These poor, well-drained soils are regarded as the ‘sanctuary’ of the Margaux vineyards.

The grape variety breakdown is as follows:

• 58–65% Cabernet Sauvignon

• 40–43% Merlot

• 2% Petit Verdot

Rauzan-Gassies’ wines are aged for 12 to 18 months in oak barrels, with 50–55% new barrels used. This is a classic Margaux, developing aromas of violets, blackberries and blackcurrants on the nose , and impressing on the palate with its full-bodied, rich character and fine tannins.

3. The 1940 vintage

3.1 Historical context

The 1940 vintage falls during the Second World War and the German occupation of France. Wines from this period are often bottled in ‘wartime glass’, as high-quality glass for wine bottles was in short supply. The bottles often have plain capsules and the labels are frequently ‘bin-soiled’ (stained by cellar storage ).

3.2 Condition

At auctions, bottles from the 1940 vintage are offered with varying levels of liquid. In a Christie’s lot from 2013, the condition was described as follows:

• Five bottles with ‘top’ (shoulder fill)

• One bottle with ‘upper/top-shoulder’

Another lot had the following fill levels:

• Two bottles ‘top’

• Two bottles ‘mid/upper’

• Two bottles ‘mid-shoulder’

3.3 Ratings

The wine has received consistently positive reviews from collectors. One CellarTrackeruser awarded it 92 points and described the bottle as being in “fantastic condition for its age” with a well-sealed cork.

4. Prices and auction results

The average market price (excluding tax) for a bottle of Château Rauzan-Gassies 1940 is around $468.

5. Summary

The Château Rauzan-Gassies ‘Grand Cru Classé’ Margaux 1940 is a rare historic wine dating from the Second World War. As a Second Growth in the famous 1855 Bordeaux Classification and with a terroir on the prestigious gravel soils of Margaux, this wine offers the typical profile of a classic Margaux: violet-like aromas, black berry fruit and fine tannins.

Due to its age and the difficult storage conditions during the war years, the condition of the surviving bottles varies considerably. Nevertheless, the wine receives high ratings from collectors (up to 92 points). Prices range from €50 to over €190, depending on condition and auction house .

For collectors and enthusiasts of historic Bordeaux wines ,the 1940 Rauzan-Gassies representsa fascinating historical artefact – a wine that captivates not only through its flavour profile but also through its eventful history.