Winemaker Notes
This 12 hectare property is situated on a clay-limestone terroir on the right bank of the Dordogne. The average age of the vines is 30 years.
Blend: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Bright, blueberry fruit and well-sculpted tannins to ensure vertical lift of the fruit through the glass. I love what the Vignobles K team have been doing with this wine, at a gorgeous spot in Castillon..
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Jeb Dunnuck
Black fruits, plums, tobacco, chocolate, and leafy herb notes all emerge from the 2020 Château Le Rey Les Rocheuses, a pure, beautifully balanced Castillon. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a good sense of freshness, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's a clear step up over the Les Argileuses in 2020 and offers a more elegant, balanced style. Drink bottles over the coming decade.
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James Suckling
So much blackberry and chalkiness give it a crushed stone and oyster shell character. Full-bodied, chewy and spicy. White pepper to the fruit and bright acidity. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Vignobles K’s Castillon estate Château Le Rey 2020 Les Rocheuses is showing well, exhibiting aromas of dark berries, licorice, blueberry, violet and spring flowers. Produced from about 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc both cultivated on the same limestone soils, it is the former that stands out in this medium to full-bodied, vibrant and lively wine. The tannins are perfectly integrated and lead to a long, penetrating, very fresh finish.
Rating: 92+ -
Wine Enthusiast
This is a finely perfumed wine with spice from wood aging and ripe tannins. The wine is dense with considerable potential from its structure and dark black fruits. Drink from 2024.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Though the region is larger than many of its Right Bank neighbors, it is one that consistently produces high quality, well-valued red wines. In fact, Cotes de Castillon can almost be considered a geographical eastern extension of St. Emilion, producing similarly-fashioned reds based on Merlot.
Vineyards in the region’s clay, limestone and sandstone soils produce sturdy red wines. On alluvial terraces, in vineyards closer to the Dordogne River, wines tend to be more supple and fruity. In either case, a great Cotes de Castillon red will be bursting with raspberry, plum and blueberry, have an enticing bouquet of dried flowers and a finish that is plush and opulent.