Chateau Rouget Pomerol 2018

This is such a gorgeous example of red Bordeaux, and of Pomerol in particular. We have loved Rouget (<rue - jhay>) at the Bottle Shop for many years, it is a classic example of the region with a velvety, fruit forward style. Château Rouget in Pomerol has produced wines since the end of the Roman Empire, at which time their terroirs merged with St Emilion’s. At the end of the 19th century, a classification of Pomerol wines placed Rouget among the top five estates of the appellation. This recognition stems from the remarkable constancy showed by consecutive owners of the estate, who all worked hard to produce iconic wines. The Labruyère Family, who has owned Rouget since 1992, follows the same target. The estate is now considered by critics and amateurs as the winery which has made the most consistent progress across the appellation, vintage after vintage. 

The soils at Rouget are gravelous, either mixed with clay or with sand. This soil composition, combined with an exceptional exposure, confers all the typicity, elegance and finesse to Château Rouget wines. Planted to 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the average age of the vines is 40 years. Vineyards are farmed sustainably, using practices such as cover crops and ploughing. Grapes are manually picked and carefully transported in small 20 kg crates. Harvest occurs in several steps, in order to secure an optimal maturity level. Bunches are sorted a first time as soon as they arrive in the cellar. Then, once the grapes are fully destemmed, they go through another double sorting table.

At Château Rouget, the intensity of this vintage 2018 is clearly in line with 2005, 2009, 2015, but with a beautiful acidity that brings it close to 2010 and 2016.