Château Rouget 2019

A lot of new oak, certainly a very polished presentation, but you have to work hard to dig out the actual wine behind the élevage notes.

Ripe and dried red berry fruit on the nose, raisins, freshly picked raspberries and blueberries. Some wonderful potpourri perfume too. Great grip and hold from the start – this is tannic and they coat the mouth but with such a bright and juicy aspect too. Real energy here, a lighter if you can say that (as still 14.5%) style, with focus on delicate red fruits, perfume and dark chocolate. Rich to start with, muscular with a bold immediate taste then the delicacy comes in. A wonderful aerial style that is all in balance but still needs some time. It will reward cellaring. Great potential here and quality winemaking on show. Tasted twice.

This is soft and chewy with very round tannins and lots of blackberry, toasted oak, walnut and earthy character. Traditional with a new vibe. Full-bodied, layered and juicy. Some tobacco, stem and chocolate, too. Better after 2026.

The 2019 Rouget is bold, plush and racy to the core. Raspberry jam, spice, kirsch, leather, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco all meld together effortlessly. This sumptuous, flamboyant Pomerol captures all of the natural intensity of the year.

Soft, silky, fresh and elegant, the richly textured, medium-bodied layers of cocoa-covered black cherries, licorice, espresso, flowers and wet earth are already a treat to experience. Lush, supple and creamy on the palate, you can enjoy this early, or age it for more complexity. Drink from 2023-2039.

Generous with high ripeness, sweet red berries, crème de cassis, fine tobacco and discreet oak. Dense and savoury palate with nice layers of supple fruit, grainy tannin and a long, velvety finish.

Deeply hued, the 2019 Château Rouget offers a rich, rock-solid bouquet of spiced currants, leafy herbs, forest floor, and chocolate. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, fleshy, even opulent Pomerol that has velvety tannins, a round, seamless feel, and a great finish. Drink this pleasure-bent beauty over the coming 15 years or more.

85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% abv. Purple with a ruby rim. Opulent bouquet of red cherries in syrup and blackcurrant drops, followed by plum jam and licorice. On the plush palate, a buttery texture with lively, racy drive, well-supported, with ripe extract richness. The aromatic finish shows red and blue berries, perfumed pipe tobacco, and tarragon. On the same level as the previous two years.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: (85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% alc. vol., production 40,000 bottles) Deep, dense, velvety bouquet, blackberry jelly, licorice, fine caramel, graphite, currants, light tobacco. Tightly knit, fruity palate with dense, sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, opulent aromatics, velvety structure, very long, sweet, powerful finish. Still has room to improve.

Seductive floral aromatics, fresh acidity delivering a mouthwatering feel from start to finish, with smoked raspberry and blackberry notes, and a touch of sour-plum salinity on the finish. Owner Edouard Labruyère works with a small amount of stems during winemaking but with fully ripe grapes, giving a textured push and pull between exuberance and restraint. Yield of 33 hl/ha.

The 2019 Rouget is made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with oak and lifted red berry notes, followed by a core of plum pudding and truffles plus a touch of aniseed. The full-bodied palate is firm and chewy, with a lively line and a rugged finish.

Rich and elegant on the nose, with notes of fresh plum. On the palate, voluptuous red and black fruits with a slightly spicy edge. The wine is limpid, silky, saline—pure delight!

The nose is elegant and offers lovely fine grain, harmony, intensity, and power. It reveals notes of pulpy/ripe blackcurrant, dense small black fruits and, more lightly, cornflower, combined with fine hints of licorice and camphor, as well as touches of crushed small red fruits, cocoa, and a hint of nutmeg. The palate is balanced and offers a fine, tangy backbone, juiciness, freshness, minerality, as well as smoothness/roundness and definition. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackcurrant, juicy raspberry and, more lightly, small black berries, combined with hints of chocolate, camphor, licorice, and very fine touches of toasty/toasted hazelnut and cocoa. The tannins are well handled.

Dark, intense color. Moderately aromatic, fruity nose. Hints of very ripe strawberries. Smoky touch. Fruity, very pleasant palate, though not highly concentrated. Soft tannins. Medium length. Best enjoyed young.

Fine, powerful, fresh bouquet: strawberry jelly, mint, pralines, herbs, nougat, dried fruit. Densely woven, creamy palate with powerful, sweet, delicate fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a creamy, finely muscular structure, complex, powerful, sweet aromatics, and a long, full, vigorous finish. 18/20 2025 - 2050