CHÂTEAU ROUGET
2022 Pomerol
Inky plum in colour, this has a lovely balance, thoroughly enjoyable in its depth and plushness of blackberry and damson fruit character, clear bitter chocolate, mint leaf, eucpalyptus, slate and liqourice. It's big and expands through the palate, and you feel the tannins step by step building to full impact by the close of play - but that is the way to do it, where it starts small and then builds. It's concentrated, in the spirit of the vintage, and has plenty of Pomerol signature in its velvety tannins and bitter black chocolate finish, and even the flash of heat on the finish is taken in its stride. Great construction, waves of oyster shell and saffron, and this is an exceptional Rouget from owner Edouard Labruyère. 30% new oak. Drinking range: 2027 - 2044 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Apr 2023)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. 20% new oak. 13.9% alc. 3.59 pH Once again, the perfume on this wine is sublime, and this comes from the judicious inclusion of whole bunches during winemaking. This ‘Burgundian’ technique adds high notes on the nose and discreet traction on the palate, and these two elements are very welcome in 2022 as some of the wines are solid and blocky, and they crave detail and intrigue. Rouget’s stylish winemaking results in wines that live in the glass, and alongside sleek, distinguished fruit, you find fascinating detail and a sense of genuine calm. I have awarded this wine a rare gold medal score because it is beautiful and unique, and I have a feeling that it is a rare Pomerol that will enchant lovers of Pinot and Nebbiolo, and these folk often find Merlot a little ‘too much’! Rating: 18.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2023)
Warm, ample and savoury, Rouget 2022 has taken the solar nature of this vintage on board. Once one accepts this considerable headiness, the wine gives lots of pleasure. Its magnificently ample substance flows across the palate, born on tannins that are not too forceful. This seems very precocious at this stage but the maturing phase will be decisive in the style of the wine. Rating: 89-92 La Revue du Vin de France (May 2023)
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. 30% whole bunch because of the winemaker’s Burgundian origins. Cask sample. Dense crimson. Heady, opulent, exotic nose. Very sweet and round – Tertre Roteboeuf comes to mind. Extremely polished and extreme in general. Already utterly hedonistic with the fresh, ripe fruit almost disguising the considerable tannic charge. Looks really good to me. Long. Drinking range: 2026 - 2044 Rating: 17 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
Very pretty and solid texture with medium velvety tannins, dark and juicy fruit and a flavorful finish. Nice structure as well as balance. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
A lavish, ripe style of Pomerol, the 2022 Rouget bursts with aromas of cherry preserve, sweet berries and toasty new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and supple palate that's rich and demonstrative. Readers who gravitate toward overtly jammy wines will appreciate it more than I did, but it is well made in its style. Rating: 90-92 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)
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.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.