A rich and expressive Pomerol, the 2020 Rouget blends 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc from 40-year-old vines. Aromas of blackberries, cherries, black olive, and baking chocolate are layered with hints of sandalwood and creamy oak. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is broad and enveloping, with velvety, powdery tannins, vibrant freshness, and a focused, flavorful finish. Gravel and clay soils contribute elegance and typicity, while careful manual harvesting and a mix of barrel and vat fermentation preserve purity and complexity.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 96
Published: Dec 22, 2022

Lots of black olive with dark fruit and sandalwood on the nose. Full-bodied with layers of velvety and soft tannins, yet they stay vibrant and focused. Very integrated palate. Flavorful at the end. Drink after 2026.

The Wine Advocate | RP 92
Published: Apr 6, 2023
Drink: 2023-2040

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.

Chateau-rouget.com

- 2020 - 

Despite a winter with cumulated rainfall largely above average value (650mm in 2020 vs. 430mm in average), the budburst started quite early in the end of March.
During the first half of April, the summer-like temperatures, between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius, kicked off the growth of the vine. In mid-May, most of the plots were at the flowering stage.
The clay soils of the right bank, gorged with water during winter and spring, allowed the vine to endure the summer heat wave.

The harvests started very early, on September 15th, 2020 and ended a fortnight later.

The wines are smooth and fruity, and have a beautiful concentration, with tension and a lot of freshness. 2020 presents itself as an attractive, charming and accessible vintage, combining the roundness of 2018, and the fresh and velvety tannins of 2019.

Terroir
Gravelous soils mixed with clay. This soil composition, combined with an exceptional exposure, confers all the typicity, elegance and finesse to Château Rouget wines.

Grape Varieties
85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc
Planting density: 3 000 vines per acre / 7 500 vines per hectare
Average age of vines: 40 years

Soil management
Vineyards are farmed sustainably, using practices such as cover crops and ploughing.

Harvests
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.

Winemaking & Ageing
Vinification: 30% barrel fermentation, 70% oak vats
Ageing: 30% new barrels