2012 Chateau Rouget

France / Bordeaux / Pomerol Rouge
 
2012 Château Rouget has a deep ruby colour with purple reflections. Expressive black and red fruit bouquet with elegant vanilla and spicy notes. Opulent and structured with notes of plums, blackcurrant, mulberry and chocolate. Long savoury finish embraced with ripe and silky tannins featuring spices and roasted notes.
Ageing Potential: 15-20 years.
 
It can be enjoyed from 2015 but we recommend to keep it in the cellar 3 or 5 additional years if you want to discover all of its aromatic palette. This vintage was bottled on a fruit day according to the lunar calendar, to allow the wine to express itself fully.
 
Blend:
85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc.
 
Ratings vintage 2012:
Le Guide Hachette des Vins: Cité.
 
Gravelous soils mixed with clay. This soil composition, combined with an exceptional exposure, confers all the typicity, elegance and finesse to Château Rouget wines. Vineyards are sustainably farmed, using practices such as cover crops and ploughing.

Each parcel is vinified separately, 40% of grapes are fermented in barrels and 60% oak vats, then aged for 18 months in oak barrels (33% new). The wine is fined traditionally, using fresh egg white.
 
The estate is considered as being one of the first official Pomerol Crus. Indeed, it originally appeared in the archives and land register of 1700, corresponding to the construction of the estate's grand château by the Bayonne family. At the close of the 19th Century, Château Rouget was rated among the top five Pomerol estates in a classification of the appellation's wines. In 1992, the estate was purchased by the Labruyère family, who today manage the estate in consultation with renowned winemaker, Michel Rolland.