2015 Chateau Rouget Pomerol

2015 Chateau Rouget Pomerol

2015 Chateau Rouget Pomerol; France

Wine Advocate-Parker :
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Chateau Rouget leaps from the glass with preserved plums, spice cake and cassis notes plus touches of underbrush, game and smoked meats and a waft of Provence herbs. Full-bodied, powerful and densely packed with taut, muscular fruit, it’s something of a bruiser and yet with an alluring contrast of a plush, velvety backbone and seamless freshness, finishing long and earthy. 92+pts

In most of France, wines are named by their place of origin and not by the type of grape (with the exception of Alsace). Just like a red Burgundy is by law, always made of Pinot noir, a red Bordeaux is a blended wine composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Depending on the laws of the village from which the grapes come, the conditions of the vintage and decisions of the winemaker, the blend can be further supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and in rare cases, Carmenere. So popular and repeated has this mix of grape varieties become worldwide, that the term, Bordeaux Blend, refers to a wine blended in this style, regardless of origin.

Pomerol is a much-respected red wine appellation in the Bordeaux region of southwestern France.Both historically and physically, Pomerol stands apart from other Bordeaux appellations. It does not conform to the accepted image of a Bordeaux wine district as being a wealthy, long-established, château-laden area, with an all-important (if slightly outdated) classification system. Pomerol is none of these things, yet has managed to earn itself a place among the world’s most revered wine region.

Château Rouget is located on the Pomerol plateau on Bordeaux’s right bank. The estate comprises 17 hectares (42 acres) of gently sloping hillside planted to 85 percent Merlot, with the remaining hectares devoted to Cabernet Franc. These grape varieties form the basis of Rouget’s grand vin and its second wine label, Le Carillon de Rouget.