Château Rouget
Every vintage is unique ! After 3 sunny harvests, the 2021 vintage is characterised by a succession of unfortunate weather events and small yields.
We all remember a painful episode of frost on April 7th and 8th, right after an early budburst. Then a wet spring, favourable to cryptogamic diseases. The abundant summer rainfall also caused coulure and millerandage on the old vines.
When the veraison started at the end of July, we engaged in leaf removal and then green harvesting to have only healthy and ripe bunches for the harvest, which started on September 28th at Château Rouget, and ended two weeks later.
This vintage, so different from the previous ones, forced us to remain humble and to take practical decisions in a climatic emergency.
Through hard work, common sense and patience, we have reached a beautiful phenolic maturity and we are delighted to see that, despite small yields, Château Rouget 2021 will be grand : lots of roundness, generous tannins and an intense ruby colour!
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
Ageing: 30% new barrels
Alcohol : 13%
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