2020 Rouget
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Sweet, rich but fresh black fruit on the nose. Big, chewy, dense tannin structure, thickly textured, smoothed. Firm and for the long term. Powerfully structured and just a touch hard on the finish at this point. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
The 2020 Rouget has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry and crushed strawberry scents. This is more floral than its peers, and the oak is nicely integrated. The palate is fresh, vibrant and medium-bodied with sappy, ripe black fruit. It's quite sharp on the finish, to the point where the acidity almost feels shrill. Give it time, as it does meliorate with aeration and is one of the best Rouget wines in recent vintages. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
The 2020 Rouget is another rich, demonstrative wine from this estate situated on the edge of the Pomerol plateau. Offering up aromas of blackberries, cherries and baking chocolate framed by a lavish application of creamy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and enveloping, with a ripe core of fruit, powdery tannins and an expansive, vanillin-inflected finish. With a lighter touch in élevage and efforts to pursue more vibrant flavors, it's clear that this estate could easily score even higher.
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.