Château Rouget 2018 en Primeur

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Rouget sports quite a lot of oak at this stage, opening out to lively red and black plums notes and notions of baked cherries, blueberry compote and dried mulberries plus wafts of raisin cake, tree bark and bouquet garni. Full and concentrated, with a firm, fine-grained frame, it fills the palate with berry preserves and offers plenty of spicy and earthy nuances on the long finish.

An excellent Rouget this year -there is perhaps the slightest trace of heat on the attack, but it disappears into the body of the wine, and this is really rather lovely. When you think back to this wine even in good vintages like 2009, it didn't have the flesh on the bones that it has today. It’s even more impressive that the weight has been gained without sacrificing balance – a great job from Edouard Labruyère, 3.4pH. Tasted on multiple occasions.

Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.

Tasted by Jane Anson at Primeur week tastings in Bordeaux, 28 Mar 2019.

Deeply colored, the 2018 Château Rouget is another impressive Pomerol, which is a region loaded with impressive wines in 2018. Cassis, black raspberries, white chocolate, and a touch of spicy wood all flow to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully layered, expansive 2018 that has top-notch mid-palate depth, notable purity of fruit, and silky tannins. Give bottles 2-4 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 10-15.