CHÂTEAU ROUGET
2017 Pomerol
85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. 30% new oak. Organic. Fruit forward and energetic. Good extraction. Lots of dense dark berry fruit. 35% whole bunch fermentation which is evident in the juice. The dusty tannins kick in near the end. Good acidity throughout keeps this wine poised and upbeat. Complex and long finish. Rating: 92 L&S (Apr 2018)
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The 2017 Rouget is a total knockout. Aromatically explosive, deep and just so compelling in its beauty, the 2017 has so much to offer. A rush of inky dark fruit, lavender, bittersweet chocolate, spice and licorice build as this sumptuous, exotic beauty shows off all of its allure. The 2017 is not at all subtle, but it sure is gorgeous. Rouget was stellar en primeur. It is every bit as impressive from bottle. Drinking range: 2022 - 2037 Rating: 95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2020)
The 2017 Rouget has a high toned black cherry, cassis and iodine scented bouquet that suggests a later picking than its peers. This has a very "modern" Pomerol nose. The palate is rich and powerful on the entry, grippy with dense tannins, a Rouget eager to make an impression, though it is lacking some finesse and nuance on the finish. Drinking range: 2022 - 2032 Rating: 88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2020)
The 2017 Rouget has a perfumed bouquet with opulent red and black fruit with a touch of crushed violets developing in the glass. Recent vintages have felt a little excessive but this 2017 demonstrates more control and refinement. The palate is medium-bodied with good structured, a lick of chocolate upon those red and black fruit and maybe just a touch of wood tannin towards the finish that will need to be absorbed by the end of its barrel maturation. This might turn out to be a fine Rouget but it will require a prudent élevage. Drinking range: 2021 - 2038 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2018)
The 2017 Rouget is very deep purple-black in color with a nose of preserved plums, blueberry compote and mocha with suggestions of wood smoke and beef drippings. Medium-bodied, quite firm and chewy in the mouth, it has just enough black fruit preserves flavors and a grippy finish. Rating: 89-91 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2018)
This has depth and juiciness, making it an enjoyable, bright, if a little austere Pomerol. Tasted twice, and both times it showed well, with slightly backwards tannins that need time in the glass to unfurl. They use a touch of whole-cluster fermentation at Rouget, which may be adding to this early tightness, but there is a lovely freshness alongside a sense of juicy bramble fruits. A small section of the vineyard was affected by frost, meaning there is no second wine, Carillon de Rouget, this year. The rest of the grapes were brought in between 20-29 September, with harvesters going through each plot several times to pick the fruit when ripe. Drinking range: 2024 - 2035 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2018)
The 2017 Château Rouget is another rocking Pomerol, and this appellation delivers some of the sexiest, most textured wines in the vintage. Plums, blueberries, incense and spice notes all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, rounded, sexy beauty that has sweet tannin and an already approachable style. Drink it over the coming 10-12 years. Rating: 90-92 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Apr 2018)
Black with purple rim. Very ripe damson aroma. But the tannins are thick and dry so the whole seems pretty tough. Chewy, uncompromising. May come round. Drinking range: 2023 - 2029 Rating: 15.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2018)
This is really pretty with a whole berry character to it with berry, chocolate and wet earth character. Medium body, round tannins yet subtle and fine. Impressive. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2018)
The frost knocked out 50% of the crop here. The harvest kicked off on September 20th, and the blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Some of the fruit from the frosted vines went into the second wine, but only first-generation fruit that survived, not second-generation fruit. The fruit was vinified 40% in barrel, 60% in wooden vats, and the élevage will be in barrel, using 30% new oak. The alcohol is 14.5%. This has a somewhat dark, dense and ripe black-fruit character on the nose, but with a little touch of green peppermint and dark chocolate. This comes through clearly on the palate too, although beneath this minty-menthol freshness there is pretty black cherry and black raspberry fruit, with a medium-bodied texture, and appropriately firm tannins. A full, grippy finish of rather firm and savoury tannins, with a sinewy texture. Bold, dark, smoky and modern, with plenty of grip and substance in the finish. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2018)
Château Rouget
Perhaps a relatively new name in the upper echelons of the Pomerol world, Château Rouget lays claim to origins in the last years of the Roman Empire, it was certainly known for its vineyard as far back as 1700 making it one of the oldest wine estates in Pomerol. Rouget had some fame for its wines in the 19th Century, but when Jean-Pierre Labruyère bought Rouget in 1992 most of the production was being sold off in bulk, and it is the Labruyères who have put Château Rouget on the map. The family are originally Beaujolais producers from Moulin-a-Vent, and now also own Domaine Jacques Prieur in Burgundy. Since 1992, the vineyards have been renovated and replanted as necessary, with all of the Cabernet Sauvignon being taken out. They have purchased new vineyards, taking the size up to 18ha, one of the largest in Pomerol. The winery has been completely renewed. Rouget sits in the north of the Pomerol appellation, just north of the various Eglise châteaux, overlooking the Barbonne stream that separates Pomerol from Néac. The vineyards are planted with 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, with an average age of 28 years. Once a little off the radar, the focus of the Labruyère family on making Château Rouget one of the better wines of Pomerol is paying dividends and the wines are certainly worth seeking out and still remain relatively good value.