| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Situated in the heart of Saint Emilion, close to Canon, this is one of the great vineyards of the appellation. The 20 hectares of vines are planted with 84% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc. 70% new oak is used.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Clos Fourtet is a little closed to begin, starting off with cedar and crushed rocks notions before scents of black cherry compote, wild blueberries, and dark chocolate emerge, plus suggestions of violets and licorice. The full-bodied palate is packed with tightly wound, muscular black fruits, supported by ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral-laced. The blend is 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc.
Subtle aromas of orange peel, sweet tobacco and currants follow through to a medium body, fine tannin texture and a fresh finish. Extremely tight now, but persistent at the finish. Classy. Best of the triology. Drink after 2027.
The 2020 Clos Fourtet offers up aromas of dark berries, plum preserves and pencil shavings framed by nicely integrated new oak. It is medium to full-bodied, with a rich core of ripe fruit that's framed by powdery, youthfully firm tannins that assert themselves on the finish. This limestone site always delivers low pHs, so the wine remains fresh and vibrant, even if its fruit flavors are marked by the warmth and sunshine of the vintage. 2028 - 2048
The 2020 Clos Fourtet has a gorgeous, complex bouquet with ample red berry fruit, undergrowth, sage and hints of pencil box coming through with time. This is very classy. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity and seamlessly integrated new oak. Backward at the moment, this will require a few years in bottle, but it will age with style and panache.
Wonderful limestone character, walking the tightrope of tannins, acidity and fruit, remains pretty austere even after ageing, and this is one to put away for another six or seven years. Serious and concentrated, with creamy blueberry, raspberry and damson pueree appearing as it opens in the glass. 40 hl/ha yield. 18.5ha estate, that will increase in size as of the 2022 vintage due to incusion of neighbouring Les Grands Murailles. Stéphane Derencourt and Jean-Claude Berrouet consultants, Matthieu Cuvelier owner.
Full bottle 1,355 g. Cask sample taken 6 April. 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc. Fermentation of whole uncrushed berries in 25 small temperature-controlled tanks; extraction via manual pigeage; vatting period lasting 22 to 30 days; malolactic conversion in vats, jars and barrels.
Deep purple. Pretty heady, complex nose. Appetising palate. Round, ripe tannins lurking beneath some pretty sophisticated fruit. Finishes dry and spreads out on the very end like a peacock's tail. Much drier than most St-Émilions, with seriously interesting freshness. 14.5%
Drink 2027 – 2043
The 2020 is a blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc harvested at 40hl/ha. 14.5% abv. Deep ruby-purple in the glass with a redolent nose of bramble fruit, sweet vanilla and fleshy red berries. The palate is less succulent than might be expected, with moutchoating tannins and a graphite, mineral edge working well to cut through the dense and sweet core of fruit. The finish is toasty and helped by a savoury note against the fruit weight.
Much more closed and backward now from bottle, the 2020 Château Clos Fourtet is nevertheless a brilliant Saint-Emilion that ranks with the crème de la crème of the vintage. A blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc, its deep purple hue is followed by an incredibly pure, classic Saint-Emilion bouquet of darker cherry and cassis-like fruit as well as chalky minerality, lead pencil shavings, and white flowers. Concentrated, full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced, it has perfectly integrated oak, an incredible sense of minerality, good acidity, and a great finish. It's going to need a solid decade of bottle age but will evolve for 30-40+ years in cold cellars. The Château deserves far more attention in the market today as they’re consistently producing some of the greatest wines in a vintage.
(90% M, 7% CS, 3% CF; 40hl/ha; 14.5% ABV; 50% new)
Soft and plump to smell and subtly mineral; rich, fleshy, vital in acidity, finely firm in tannin; rich, juicy, succulent flavor, with a beautiful complexity and length of taste; prolonged, lively, leisurely, linear, mouthwateringly tasty and very long to finish; a rich, complete, classy limestone wine. Elegance, freshness, great finesse, great beauty. A most successful Clos Fourtet. 2028–50.
The 2020 Clos Fourtet was picked September 15–30 at 40hl/ha and matured in 50% new oak. It has an expressive, winsome bouquet of red and blue fruit, crushed rose and iris, touches of blood orange coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins and wonderful acidity. Harmonious and almost crystalline toward the finish. This is a very impressive Clos Fourtet that brims with freshness and persistence, gaining weight and depth over the course of an hour. It will battle the 2019 for supremacy. 2028 - 2060
This is really something with so much tension and focus and a persistent, long finish that lasts for minutes. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and so long. Such polish and finesse. Elegance with power.
The 2020 Clos Fourtet is a blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, harvested from 15th to 30th September and weighing in with an alcohol of 14.5% and a pH of 3.6. It is being aged for 14-18 months in 50% new oak barrels, 48% second-fill barrels and 2% amphora. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes bounding out of the glass with ripe, expressive notes of crushed black plums, juicy black berries and black cherry preserves, followed by hints of ground cloves, cinnamon stick, camphor and cedar chest. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with bright, vivacious black fruits, framed by velvety tannins and bags of freshness, finishing with great length. 2027 - 2057
Plush damson and blueberry on the nose, there is juice and a tightrope walking concentration of fruits. An excellent Clos Fourtet, with a juicy edge where the magic of limestone in dry summers is very much showing through. A yield of 40 hl/ha. 14 to 18 months ageing in underground limestone cellars. 2021 sees 20 years of the Cuvelier family at Clos Fourtet and this is an excellent wine to showcase what a brilliant job they have done here. Score could go higher after barrel ageing.
Drinking Window 2028 - 2044
