2018 Château Rouget, Pomerol

2018 Château Rouget, Pomerol

Fresh berry fruit and spice. Lovely weight on the palate, nice grippy tannins but saline and finessed. Pretty long and very fine. A very smart buy from Pomerol.

Critic score
93.5/100 info

This wine is now sold out. Please get in touch with your advisor or one of our team on [email protected] or 01473 313 300 for more information or guidance on an alternative.

Wine details

  • Region & country
    Pomerol, Right Bank, Bordeaux, France
  • Grape
    85% Merlot
    15% Cabernet Franc
  • Maturity
    Young 2025 - 2045info
  • Colour
    Red
  • Sweetness
    Dry
  • Style
    Still
  • Unit Volume
    Bottle (75cl.)
  • ABV
    13%

Tasting notes

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Rouget sports quite a lot of oak at this stage, opening out to lively red and black plums notes and notions of baked cherries, blueberry compote and dried mulberries plus wafts of raisin cake, tree bark and bouquet garni. Full and concentrated, with a firm, fine-grained frame, it fills the palate with berry preserves and offers plenty of spicy and earthy nuances on the long finish.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (April 2019)
(91—93)/100

An excellent Rouget this year -there is perhaps the slightest trace of heat on the attack, but it disappears into the body of the wine, and this is really rather lovely. When you think back to this wine even in good vintages like 2009, it didn't have the flesh on the bones that it has today. It’s even more impressive that the weight has been gained without sacrificing balance – a great job from Edouard Labruyère, 3.4pH. Tasted on multiple occasions.

Jane Anson, Decanter (April 2019)
(93)/100

This young wine really sings with a level of purity and precision that I’ve never seen from here. Medium to full body, ultra fine tannins and beautiful red-berry and floral character at the end.

James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (April 2019)
(96—97)/100

The 2018 Rouget is plush, flamboyant and exotically beautiful. Super ripe black cherry, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cloves are all amped up. Sumptuous fruit and silky, polished tannins add to its considerable appeal. Although not especially subtle, Rouget is very beautiful in 2018. It will appeal most to readers who enjoy big, rich wines. This full-throttle Pomerol is a real star in 2018. Tasted three times.

Antonio Galloni, vinous.com (April 2019)
(91—94)/100
Château Rouget

Château Rouget is a Pomerol estate which punches above its weight. Its reputation was firmly established by the end of the 19th century when it was regarded as one of the top five estates in Pomerol. Although it maintained a consistent output during the 20th century, it wasn’t until Jean-Pierre Labruyère purchased it in 1992 that Rouget once again began to attract attention. The Labruyères’ wine credentials included holdings in Beaujolais and ownership of Domaine Jacques Prieur in Burgundy. They recognised Rouget’s prime terroir, overlooking the Barbanne River and surrounded by well-known properties including Clos l’Eglise, Clinet and La Croix de Gay. Jean-Pierre completely revitalised the estate - the cellar was modernised, poorer plots of vines were sold off and newer ones purchased, culminating in its current 17 hectares of Merlot and Cabernet Franc split across three parcels in Pomerol. Edouard, Jean-Pierre’s son, is now at the helm and brings a Burgundian approach to his winemaking with hand-harvesting, careful sorting and sometimes whole-bunch fermentation.

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