Château Rouget

Identity

Château Rouget is a winegrowing estate located in the commune of Pomerol, in Gironde. It is owned by the Labruyère family, with Édouard Labruyère managing the estate. The cellar master is Antoine Ribeiro, who also serves as vineyard manager.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Rouget dates back to the early 12th century, with recorded evidence of vines. It was a former seat of the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John of Jerusalem. The current building, a chartreuse, was built at the end of the 18th century. The Bayonne family had the current château built around 1700. The estate was ranked among the top five Pomerol wines at the end of the 19th century, in 1868.

Château Rouget was acquired by Marcel Bertrand in 1925, and its management was entrusted to François-Jean Brochet in 1974. The Labruyère family, whose winegrowing heritage began in Bourgogne in 1830, acquired Château Rouget in 1992 under Jean-Pierre Labruyère. Édouard Labruyère took over the management of the estate in 2008. A renovation of the cellars and vat room was carried out in 2001. The estate farms its vines organically and obtained the AB/Euro-leaf organic certification in 2023.

Appellations

Château Rouget produces wines under the Pomerol appellation.

Practical information

Château Rouget is located at 70 avenue Edouard Herriot, 33500 Pomerol. You can contact them by telephone on +33(0)5 57 51 05 85 or by email at info@chateau-rouget.com. The estate offers direct wine sales on site from 9:00 to 18:00, as well as mail order. Visits to the estate are not available.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Rouget vineyard covers an area of 17 to 18 hectares, situated on the Pomerol plateau close to the old church. Two thirds of the vineyard surround the property. The soil is predominantly clay-gravel, with clay-siliceous and clay-sandy sections, and a subsoil composed of iron-rich alios (iron pan). The grape variety breakdown is dominated by Merlot (85%), complemented by Cabernet Franc (15%). The average vine age is around 40 years. Yields are maintained around 30 to 35 hectolitres per hectare. Harvesting is carried out by hand, with grapes transported in small 25-kilo crates.

Flagship cuvées

The estate's primary wine is Château Rouget, a red Pomerol. The second wine of the estate is named Le Carillon de Rouget. The wines are characterised by plot-by-plot vinification. A portion of the harvest undergoes integral vinification, with fermentation and ageing in oak barrels.

Vinification and ageing

Following manual harvesting, the grapes are brought in small crates and undergo double sorting on tables upon reception and destemming. Vinification is plot-by-plot. The winery is equipped with temperature-controlled truncated cone-shaped oak vats of 50 and 60 hectolitres, as well as stainless steel tanks. A portion of the crop undergoes integral vinification, with fermentation and ageing carried out directly in barrels. The wines are aged in oak casks for 18 to 24 months, with 25% to 50% renewed each year. Average production is approximately 80,000 bottles.