A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Rouget offers up aromas of sweet berries, cherries, licorice and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, it's impressively concentrated, with fine depth at the core, powdery tannins and lively acids. A success in this challenging vintage, in recent years Rouget has benefited from the acquisition of some small parcels on the plateau (in the Clinet sector and near Le Pin), as well as the relegation of the less propitious parts of its historic vineyard to a second wine. Anyone who has tasted the great Rouget wines of yesteryear such as the famous 1961 will know what this estate is capable of, and the Labruyère family is working hard to realize its potential. Tasted three times.