2018 Rouget
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Looks more evolved than most. Sweet with liquorice and a minty note. A determination to charm without necessarily moving with the times. Just a little hot on the end and softer than most. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Rouget is extraordinarily ripe on the nose, featuring luscious black cherries, kirsch, iodine and raisin aromas, and becoming quite lactic with continued aeration. To be honest, I find that the ripeness shades the Pomerol DNA, so that served blind I would struggle to identify where it is from. The palate is, again, very ripe and dense, offering plush, sweet tannins, plenty of new oak and a decadent, dark-chocolate-tinged finish. This is a huge wine, but it flirts with just being a bit trop .
The 2018 Château Rouget is a beauty and well worth seeking out, especially for those who love the richer, more full-bodied side to Pomerol. Lots of black fruits, chocolate, leafy herbs, and cedar notes emerge from this beauty, which has silky tannins, wonderful overall balance, and a great, great finish. This is one pleasure-bent, sexy 2018 that can be drunk any time over the coming 15 years or more.
About the producer
Close to the Pomerol church, the Labruyère family purchased this property in 1994. They immediately set to work, restructuring the vineyard, renovating the winery and allowing the property to emerge from the shadows.