The 2018 Rouget is plush, flamboyant and exotically beautiful. Super ripe black cherry, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cloves are all amped up. Sumptuous fruit and silky, polished tannins add to its considerable appeal. Although not especially subtle, Rouget is very beautiful in 2018. It will appeal most to readers who enjoy big, rich wines. This full-throttle Pomerol is a real star in 2018. Tasted three times.

The 2018 Rouget offers ripe kirsch, blackcurrant and violet aromas on the nose, quite potent and rich compared to its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins. There is a lot of oak here that overshadows the fruit at the moment and there is a headiness that slightly detracts from the detail on the finish. Hopefully it will calm down by the time of bottling and gain some refinement, but there is certainly plenty of substance here.