Learn everything about Clos Fourtet St. Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classe B with wine tasting notes, and wine with food pairing tips. Learn all the best vintages, a history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
Clos Fourtet History, Overview
Clos Fourtet did not start out as a vineyard. Even with its picture-perfect terroir, Clos Fourtet, due to its proximity to the Saint Emilion village was built for use as a defensive fort called Camfourtet during the middle ages. Camfourtet can be loosely translated to Camp Fort. Vines first appeared here in the mid to late 1600s.
In the late 18th century, the property was owned by Elie de Carle, who also owned Chateau Figeac at the same time. The chateau on the property today was constructed by the Rulleau family. The Rulleau’s were also responsible for evolving the name from Camfourtet to Clos Fourtet in 1868.
The first part of the modern era of Clos Fourtet begins in 1919 when it was purchased by Fernand Ginestet. The powerful Ginestet family owned several vineyards and they were also successful negociants. The Ginestet family eventually sold Clos Fourtet to raise money for their purchase of Chateau Margaux in 1949.
Clos Fourtet The Modern Age
In a convoluted, three-way transaction, Clos Fourtet passed to the Lurton family. In fact, Pierre Lurton, who is now in charge of Chateau Cheval Blanc managed Clos Fourtet until 1991. The Ginestet family sold Clos Fourtet in 2001 to the current owners, the Cuvelier family.
Before Philippe Cuvelier became a full-time Bordeaux wine producer, he made his career in office stationery in Lille. Cuvelier ran the Guilbert stationery trade until 1999. That was the year he sold his company to the Pinault Printemps Redoute (PPR) group.
The Cuvelier family also owns Chateau Poujeaux in Moulis, located in the Haut-Medoc appellation. Today, Matthieu Cuvelier is fully in charge of managing Clos Fourtet and all the other family-owned vineyards. Once they took over they completely modernized the cellars and replanted large sections of their vineyards.
In March 2013, the Cuvelier family once again added to their holdings with the purchase of additional estates in St. Emilion, Chateau Les Grandes Murailles, Clos St. Martin, and Chateau Cote de Baleau. Starting with the 2022 vintage, the vines from Les Grandes Murailles were included in Clos Fourtet.
Clos Fourtet Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 22-hectare Right Bank vineyard of Clos Fourtet is planted to 85% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard and chateau are situated only a stone’s throw from the village of St. Emilion, right on top of the limestone plateau. The terroir is deep limestone and clay soils.
Their best vines are on the peak of the limestone plateau, close to the chateau. They also have a small parcel of vines planted in the north of the appellation, next to Cadet Piola. However, those vines are used primarily for their second wine.
The vines are on average 30 years of age. The average vine age is young here, as much of the vineyard was replanted in 1991. As the vines continue aging, you can expect an increase in the quality of the wines here.
The vineyard of Clos Fourtet is planted to a density of 6,000 vines per hectare. Thanks to the spare no expense attitude of the new owners, Clos Fourtet is doing what it takes to make the best wine possible.
This effort begins in the vineyards. They practice sustainable, vine-growing with an increasing biodynamic farming approach.
As that technology is proving to be quite favorable to the wines of Clos Fourtet, slowly, they have continued increasing the percentage of the vineyard that is being farmed using a biodynamic approach.
To produce the wine Clos Fourtet, the grapes are whole berry fermented. Vinification of Clos Fourtet takes place in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation is performed in the barrel.
The wine of Clos Fourtet is aged for 18 months in between 60% to 80% new, French oak barrels. For a large portion of that time, the wine is aged on its fine lees. Close to 4,500 cases per year are produced of Clos Fourtet in an average vintage. There is a second wine, Closerie de Fourtet.
Clos Fourtet is consulted by Stephane Derenoncourt and Jean Claude Berrouet, who make an odd pair, as Derenoncourt is known for picking ripe fruit while Berrouet, who earned fame for his multiple decades as the winemaker for Petrus. Clos Fourtet is managed by Mathieu Cuvelier.
Step by step, Clos Fourtet continues experimenting with biodynamic techniques and striving to be more natural in their Bordeaux winemaking approach. According to Mathieu Cuvelier, they are impressed by the work and progress that Alfred Tesseron is employing at Chateau Pontet Canet in Pauillac and they want to use some of those methods at Clos Fourtet in Saint Emilion.
The best vintages of Clos Fourtet are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005 and 2003. While I have not had much experience with really old vintages, 1949 was a beauty. And so was 1921. If that is any guide, with such a great terroir, older vintages could be worth taking a chance on at auction.
Character and Style of Clos Fourtet
Clos Fourtet is an exciting Bordeaux wine. Located just outside the village of St. Emilion, over a series of deep, limestone caves, this mineral-driven, dark berried, fresh, ripe, opulent, flamboyant wine offers intense, pure flavors, rich textures, and spicy aromatics with hints of licorice. The wine keeps getting better and better. As the vines continue aging, you can expect the wines to add even more richness and complexity over the years.
When to Drink Clos Fourtet, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Clos Fourtet is much better with at least 10-15 years of aging in good vintages. Young vintages can be decanted for 2-3 hours or more. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume.
Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Clos Fourtet offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 12-35 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Clos Fourtet with Wine and Food Pairings
Clos Fourtet is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Clos Fourtet is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Clos Fourtet is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.
Clos Fourtet Wine Tasting Notes
33 Vintages 369,836 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
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2023
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Floral in nature, with only a swirl you find black raspberries, red plums, cherries, spice, and crushed stones in the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is balanced between its sweet, bright, red pit fruits, and salty, oceanic influences. The fruits are clean, precise, and energetic. There is length, purity, and refinement, with a lingering sensation of minerality that adds to the sweetness of the berries. This is the second vintage where the parcels of Grandes Murailles were integrated into Clos Fourtet. The wine blends 87% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% ABV, 3.54 pH. The harvest took place, September 14 - October 3. Drink from 2028-2055. 95-97 Pts. 2,246 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2022
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
With a dark, almost purple hue, the wine expresses flowers, licorice, smoke, black cherries, blue fruits, spice, salt and oyster shell. The fruits on the palate are long, rich, elegant, deep, and ripe. There is concentration, silky tannins, vibrancy, length and strong, mineral-influences on the mid-palate, and in the opulent, lively, long and intense finish. This is the first vintage where the parcels of Grandes Murailles were integrated into Clos Fourtet. The wine blends blending 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% ABV, 3.54 pH. The harvest took place, September 9 - September 27. Drink from 2027-2055. 97-99 Pts. 3,740 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2021
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
The wine pops with flowers, black cherries, espresso beans, licorice and lack cherries. Medium-bodied, elegant and vibrant, the supple, almost creamy finish is loaded with plums cherries and a refreshing sprig of mint to wrap things up. The wine blends 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2025-2049. 1,183 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2024Dark plums, chocolate, blackberries, espresso, smoke, and wet earth on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied, soft, fresh, and silky and with a sweetness and energy to the red fruits with a touch of spice and salt that come in the endnotes. Refined and fresh, this is a refined vintage of Clos Fourtet. The wine was made by blending 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5% ABV. The harvest took place, September 28 - October 15. Drink from 2024-2049. 94-96 1,382 Views Tasted May 15, 2022 |
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2020
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Scoring at the top of my range from my barrel scores, this is a majestic vintage for Clos Fourtet. With stunning levels of concentration, intensity, purity and sensuality, the wine paints your palate with layer after layer of black and red fruits. The velvet-drenched finish seals the deal with its seamless, mineral driven finish that builds, lingers and expands. Drink from 2026-2060. 3,872 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023Dark garnet in color, the wine gets your attention quickly with its licorice, smoke, dark cocoa, chalk and plummy aromas. Pure silk and velvet on the palate, with a fabulous sense of purity in the fruits, lift, length, richness, concentration and minerality. This is clearly a top vintage for Clos Fourtet that will age for decades. The wine was made from blending 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% ABV. 96-98 Pts 4,092 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2019
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Even better in the bottle after its aging period, the wine explodes with flowers, black cherries, plums, mint, espresso, cocoa, licorice and crushed rocks. The wine is full-bodied, opulent, rich, silky, fresh and long. The palate is coated with layers of dark red pit fruits with that elusive touch of salt, silky tannins and purity in the fruits that radiate from the mid-palate continuing all the way through to the long, velvety, harmonious finish. Give this at least a few years in the cellar and it should offer pleasure for the following 3 decades with ease. Drink from 2025-2055. 5,185 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022Deep in color, the wine opens with licorice, flowers, smoke, dark cocoa, wet earth and truffle nuances. The wine is fresh, rich, concentrated and balanced. With silky tannins, elegance and purity to the fruits, the supple texture combines the purity of fruit, lift, refinement and harmony in the fruit-filled, spicy finish. The wine blends 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14.5% ABV. The harvest took place September 24, ending October 10. 95-97 Pts 6,570 Views Tasted Jun 8, 2020 |
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2018
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Inky in color, the wine is quite floral in nature, which adds to all the beautifully ripe, red and black fruits, spice, dark chocolate, licorice, espresso and crushed rock character. Full-bodied, concentrated and with a serious depth of flavor, the long finish focuses on you its freshness, rich, voluptuous textures and purity. 2,926 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021Inky in color, the wine is almost opaque. The fruits are ripe, dark and deep. There is a touch of fig, black cherry, dark chocolate, flowers and licorice. Full-bodied, concentrated, intense, dense and yet with ample lift keeping the wine energized on your palate. The finish hangs in there with multiple shadings of ready pit fruits, luscious textures and purity. The yields are quite small for 2018 at only 33 hectoliters per hectare. 96-98 Pts 3,693 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2017
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
For a magnificent opening there is a crushed rock nature, followed by a mixed bouquet of flowers, licorice and red berries. With a lovely dense color, this is grand and ornate yet bright and zippy, the fruit flows along perfectly from the attack to the finish. The wine was made from blending 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, reaching 14% ABV. 2,787 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018 |
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2016
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
This has started emerging from its youth and already offers a luscious expression of black, and red fruits, licorice, salt, and flowers. The wine is rich, deep, concentrated, long, and silky, with a finish that easily hits the 50-second mark. Drink from-2023-2050. 5,036 Views Tasted Sep 19, 2023Deep in color, the wine is lush, fresh, polished and deep. There is a sweetness to the smoky, dark red berries that pairs nicely with its natural freshness. The perfume offers espresso, flowers, licorice, and dark red fruits. But the real joy comes from the palate, due to the silky textures and juicy freshness in the fruit. Give this at least a decade and enjoy it over the following 20-25 years. 6,682 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019This stunner keeps getting better and better. The wine has gained in richness and intensity. The ripe, sweet, luscious plums, licorice, smoke and dark chocolate notes are singing. Concentrated, silky and opulent, this should age for decades. 4,858 Views Tasted May 21, 2018Smoky with licorice, violets, lilacs, cigar wrapper and dark fruits, this wine is silky and structured, precise and polished, concentrated and fresh. The finish has all this great juice that moves from black to red fruits, to spice and then sweetness and back again. The wine was produced from a blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14% ABV with a pH of 3.35. The harvest took place October 4 to October 20. 5,188 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2015
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Deep in color, the wine is all about the levelsof depth in the dark, cherry and plummy fruits. There is a lot of sweetness along with the balancing of acidity that gives everything life. The wine is full bodied, concentrated, supple, and sensuous. There is a purity in the fruits and a silkyness in the texture with a finish that sticks with you for close to 50 seconds. 5,919 Views Tasted May 21, 2018Inky in color, the wine has an incredible depth of flavor. Dark, black cherry fruits are all over the place. Add licorice, cocoa, truffle, smoke, boysenberry and crushed stone and get the picture, as far as the perfume goes. However, it is the richness, opulent and even decadent palate presence that steals the show. This is almost at the same level as the stellar 2005. And who knows, with a decade in the cellar, the 2015 could be the better wine! 5,541 Views Tasted Mar 12, 2018This estate is one fire, with one great vintage after another. The 2015 is really developing great. The lush, sexy textures are even more polished, the wine has gained in complexity and weight, this is quite strong. 5,887 Views Tasted Jul 12, 2017An arousing blend of silky, supple textures, opulent, sensuous fruits, rich, intense flavors, length and purity, this wine is like basking on the sands of St. Tropez with Scarlett Johansson by your side. Smoke, licorice and kirsch liqueur with a strong sense of minerality are all over the place! This dazzler delivers a finish that will roll over in your mind for days. Voluptuously textured, the wine is a blend of 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14% ABV with a pH of 3.70. The harvest took place from September 18 to October 12 and the wine is aging in 60% new, French oak barrels. 5,558 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2016 |
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2014
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Dark, red, ripe, plummy, sweet fruits, smoke, licorice, espresso bean and black cherry are right out in front. Lush and silky textured on the palate, the wine leaves with you sweet, black cherries, cocoa and a hint of truffle in the finish. 3,770 Views Tasted Feb 5, 2017Supple textures make it easy to enjoy the pure, fresh feeling of clean, ripe fruits and silky tannins. Red licorice and sweet, silky, fresh berries in the finish, this wine was made from a blend of 89% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. It reached 13% ABV with a pH of 3.57 and will be aging in 60% new, French oak barrels for 15 months. 93-94 Pts 2,959 Views Tasted Apr 27, 2015 |
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2013
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium bodied, forward, early drinking style of Clos Fourtet with a soft polished, fresh, light cherry, thyme, floral and stony, earthy profile. 4,064 Views Tasted May 25, 2016Long, silky and lush with ripe fruit, licorice and minerality, the black cherry and fennel flavors carry through from start to finish. From 87% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine reached 13.1% ABV, with a pH of 3.48. From yields of 18 hectoliters per hectare, the Grand Vin represented 60% of the harvest. The wine is aging in 60% new oak. 91-93 Pts 4,307 Views Tasted Apr 28, 2014 |
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2012
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Licorice, truffle, cherry pipe tobacco and dark chocolate scents create the attention seeking perfume. Full bodied, rich and concentrated, the wine is lush, round and rich, with a long, sweet, fleshy, silky, fruit filled finish. 5,433 Views Tasted Apr 15, 2016Smoke, truffle black cherries and licorice scents catch your attention and the smooth, soft, silky, polished, sweet, ripe fruits on the palate keep you focused on what’s in your glass. The long, supple, chocolate coated, black cherry finish is a treat. 4,160 Views Tasted Mar 11, 2015With 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14% ABV with a pH of 3.7. The wine will be aged in 60%, new French oak barrels for 18 months. Deep in color with floral, licorice, dark red berries and earth in the nose, the wine is rich, lush and deep with soft tannins. The wine ends with sweet licorice and chocolate-covered berries. To produce the wine in this difficult vintage, Chateau Clos Fourtet performed 3 green harvests during the growing season. 92-94 Pts 6,752 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2013 |
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2011
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
The wine is tight at the moment, with elements of minerality, plum and fennel that barely poke through. There is good concentration, but the soft, blackberry finished is marred by hints of dry tannins. 5,932 Views Tasted May 20, 2014Coffee, black cherry, minerality, black raspberry liqueur with rich, silky, opulent textures, deep color and a long sensuous mouth feel are found in the wine. From a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, the wine will be aged in 60% new oak. Licorice, sweet blackberry, jam, truffle, chocolate, floral and black cherry aromas are found in the aromatics. Very rich for the vintage, the wine is packed with sweet, ripe, juicy and luscious dark berries. Balanced and supple, there is a lot to like about this wine. 94-96 Pts 3,912 Views Tasted Apr 24, 2012 |
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2010
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Deep in color, the wine pops with black licorice, truffle, earth, dark berries, silky textures, velvety tannins and a long, polished, sexy finish that builds in intensity. 12,789 Views Tasted May 7, 2013Packed with minerality, licorice, flowers, jammy blackberry, dark cherry, kirsch, smoke, vanilla bean and coffee scents, the wine is thick, luxurious, rich, powerful and concentrated. On the palate, the wine offers the unique combination of mouth filling and freshness ending with a boatload of sweet black licorice coated blackberries, plums and jam. The finish remains in your mouth for over 40 seconds. This St. Emilion wine has improved since last tasted in April. 96-97 Pts 6,374 Views Tasted Jul 30, 20112010 Clos Fourtet With a clay and limestone terroir, the vineyards are located close to the center of the St. Emilion village abutting Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot. From an assemblage of 87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14.5 ABV. Intense aromas of jammy dark berries, black licorice, minerality and plum liqueur lead the way to a sexy, opulent and multi-layered Bordeaux wine with waves of sweet, rich, juicy fruit. The long finish ends with a mouthful of rich, licorice coated dark berries and cassis. 95-96 Pts 6,275 Views Tasted Apr 22, 2011 |
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2009
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Silky, pure, fresh, ripe, concentrated and loaded with opulently textured, ripe, deep fruits, this is delicious. Full bodied, lush and mouth filling, the wine serves up licorice, smoke, spice box, plums, cherries, earth and herbs with ease. This stunner is just starting to wake up, in a few more years, this is going to be even better! 5,885 Views Tasted Sep 20, 2019With additional years of aging, this has exploded. The wine has dramatically much more weight, density, softness of tannins and length. The wine is opulent, showy, sexy and feels like crushed velvet on your palate. Layers of perfectly ripe, dark red fruits, licorice, smoke, wet earth and black cherry coat your mouth and palate. The finish hangs in there for at least 50 seconds. With another 5-10 more years of bottle age, this will be screaming! 6,070 Views Tasted Jul 19, 2018Minerality, espresso beans, truffles, licorice and sweet, ripe boysenberry aromas combine with mouth filling, plush textures and silky tannins. Fresh, ripe and pure, this is a delicious St. Emilion wine 7,150 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2012Aromas of crushed stone, licorice, black raspberry and coffee bean are easy to find. This St. Emilion wine is deep, concentrated and powerful with layers of sweet, opulently textured jammy berries and licorice. 7,267 Views Tasted Jul 30, 20112009 Clos Fourtet is dark ruby. Filled with jammy blackberry and licorice scents, this powerful, fleshy wine ends with a silky, black fruit finish. 94-96 Pts 7,398 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2010 |
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2008
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
The intense perfume is filled with minerality, black cherry, coca powder, espresso, licorice and truffles, The concentrated, powerful, full bodied, rich wine offers depth and length, ending in a polished blackberry and cherry filled finish. 6,308 Views Tasted Jan 25, 20112008 Clos Fourtet starts with a complex licorice filled nose coupled with chocolate, black raspberry jam, and concentrated, ripe plums. Combining freshness and lush textures, this potent wine ends with a mouthful of spicy blackberries and anise. 94 Pts 6,537 Views Tasted Jul 18, 201008 Château Clos Fourtet is deep ruby. Black fruit, flowers, licorice, coffee, and minerals in the nose. Full bodied with soft tannins, this ample wine shows a long, fresh finish marked with licorice and ripe blackberries. 92-95 Pts 6,358 Views Tasted Jul 1, 2009 |
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2007
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Fully mature, the wine is medium bodied, soft textured, open and offers its sweet, licorice covered, black cherry and earthy notes easily. This is not a long term ager, drink this while waiting for the 2005, 2009 or 2010 to come around. 3,458 Views Tasted Nov 18, 2017 |
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2006
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Silky, full bodied, rich and concentrated, serving up a delicious array of sweet juicy plums, dark red fruits, spice, licorice and stone. The wine is now starting to come around. There is depth, richness, minerality and silky tannins that leave a great impression. 4,193 Views Tasted May 25, 2016Light for Clos Fourtet, this medium bodied St. Emilion produced from 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon offers licorice, blackberry, plum, coffee and earthy scents. The wine ends with a tannic, espresso bean, red and dark berry finish. Give it another 4-5 years to allow it to come together. 4,246 Views Tasted Dec 26, 2011 |
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2005
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Chocolate, licorice, sea salt, smoke, roasted black cherries, spices, caramel, and dried flower aromatics take little effort to find. The palate is equal to the nose. It’s rich, concentrated, and packed with waves of salt-crusted berries, dark chocolate, chalk, and mint-leaf. The finish holds on with vibrancy, and a wealth of crushed stones that shine on the backend. One hour of decanting is a good idea. Drink from 2024-2050. 2,648 Views Tasted Jul 9, 2024It's the razor blade of crushed limestone that runs down the middle of your palate that grabs your attention. From there, I headed back to the nose due to its floral, dark cocoa, red fruit, crushed rock, and licorice. Deep in color, from the looks of it, you could easily confuse this with the 2015. Concentrated, opulent, dense and elegant, the sexy, vibrant, red fruit and flower-filled finish tastes and feels great. Give this 2 hours in the decanter or wait 5 years and it is going to be a cellar treasure! 6,269 Views Tasted Feb 23, 2020Just a gorgeous wine. Layer after layer of licorice coated, black cherry, plum and truffle are all over the place, in the nose and on the palate. Silky, polished and lusciously textured, if you like young wines that are considering entering their drinking window before they reach the secondary stage, you can pop a cork. Else, wait about 5 years. Either way, this is a beauty 6,888 Views Tasted Jul 19, 2018Young, but it's impossible not to find the potential in the glass here. Dark in color, with powerful, but refined tannins. The wine is elegant, regal, full bodied and loaded with licorice, dark plums, cherries, earth and truffle. Another 5 years will add a lot to this wine. 7,104 Views Tasted Jun 18, 2017This is a knock out from the first sniff that gets even better after the first taste. The attention seeking nose packed with licorice, caramel, smoke, truffle and black cherry liqueur only starts the show. The opulent, sexy, hedonistic. decadent textures with all those ripe tannins and even riper, sweet fruits that coats your palate and lingers for ages seals the deal. Yes, this is still young and is only going to get better. But it so damn tasty now, I went back for another pour. If this is your style of wine, you should consider adding it to your cellar. 9,027 Views Tasted Jan 22, 2016Showing some lightness to the color, the wine serves up truffle, licorice, black plums, cherry liqueur and cigar box, with burning embers in the nose. The wine is youthful, fresh, mouth filling, long and rich. There is fruit, freshness and flavor galore. Still young, give this just a few more years and enjoy the fireworks. 6,320 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2015Intense aromas of licorice, jammy black fruit, truffle, spice, cocoa and earth, rich, succulent, plush, sexy, opulent textures, length, purity and palate presence. If you missed the 2009 Clos Fourtet and want a wine that is not that far off quality for less, this is the wine to buy! 9,391 Views Tasted May 1, 2012Still deep in color, sporting licorice, coffee bean, blackberry, black cherry, mineral and spicy aromatics, this powerful, full bodied, opulently styled, ripe, silky wine ends with a long, dark cherry liqueur, vanilla and licorice sensation. Lush and seductive, give this 3-5 years to come together. 8,222 Views Tasted Mar 11, 2012This is intense, complex and concentrated. Deep levels of fat, ripe, polished dark fruits. Massive, dense and sexy. Multiple layers of licorice tinged black fruit and plums are all over the place. This is a thrill a sip wine. This is a wine for pleasure seekers. 10,996 Views Tasted Jan 20, 2008Inky colored and packed with incredibly rich, ripe black fruit, licorice and minerals, this full bodied, intense, powerful wine fills your mouth with gobs of prefectly ripe berries, plums and spice. 10,587 Views Tasted Jun 24, 2007 |
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2004
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Truffle, cigar box, tobacco, licorice, plum and coffee bean create the complex aromatics. Soft, silky black cherries, licorice, spice and minerality in the finish. The wine was made from a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. 3,955 Views Tasted Nov 30, 2014Medium/full bodied, round, supple, soft textured, with chocolate, red plums and blackberries. This is already starting to open and show well. 3,290 Views Tasted Jan 17, 2013 |
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2003
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Violets, mint, chocolate, truffle, crushed rocks and roasted cherries pop as soon as the wine hits the glass. On the palate, lush, warm plums, cherries, cocoa spice, with a buttery texture and a finish loaded with Indian spices, cocoa powder and roasted red and dark red fruits. Fully mature, no decanting needed, just pop, pour and enjoy. Drink from 2023-2030. 3,291 Views Tasted Dec 30, 2023Ripe, OK very ripe, but it is not over the top, or too much. Opulent, velvet-textured, dark plums, black cherries, hints of fig, smoke, licorice, wet earth and cocoa are all over the place. No decanting is needed. Just pop, pour and enjoy the texturally, hedonistic ride. 3,795 Views Tasted Oct 14, 2021I tasted this wine twice in Bordeaux a few weeks ago, and now with a pristine bottle from my cellar. Each of the three bottles showed consistent results. This is not quite the overtly, sexed up, potent treat from its opulent youth. Fully mature, the wine is soft, silky, plush, ripe and packed with a melange of ripe and over ripe, plum and cherry notes ending with velvety, opulent textures. My only fear is this needs to be consumed sooner than later. I'd opt for drinking this over the next 5 to 10 years. 5,033 Views Tasted May 4, 2014Showing an advanced color, with cooked, jammy berries, forest floor, smoke and tobacco notes, this needs to be consumed sooner than later before the rest of the fruit fades away. 5,403 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2013Licorice, chocolate, black and blue fruit, cherries and stone scents, fat, rich, plush textures and a silky, opulent finish. This is a lot of fun to drink today and it's only going to get better and develop additional layers of complexity as it starts to improve. This is a very lusty, sexy style of St. Emilion. 6,463 Views Tasted Jun 17, 2012Filled with licorice, stone, blackberry jam, cocoa and black cherry liqueur, while not mature, this St. Emilion is starting to drink well. Full bodied, lush and concentrated with ripe, dark berries and minerality, the wine ends with rich sensations of fennel, chocolate and plum. 8,019 Views Tasted Aug 11, 2011 |
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2001
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
The mature wine opens with truffle, earth, forest, dark berry and cedar notes. The soft textured wine ends with spicy dark plums, coco and hint of green in the finish. 3,297 Views Tasted Jul 9, 2010 |
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2000
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Clearly this has entered its prime time drinking window. Silky and round, the licorice, dark plum, cherry and earthy nose is starting to come out. Full bodied and plush, the wine shows a lot of ripe, sweet, fruits and earthy characteristics in the soft textured finish. 3,961 Views Tasted Dec 21, 2015 |
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1998
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium-bodied, soft, silky, elegant, and loaded with truffles, cigar wrapper, dark plum and red cherry notes, the finish is refined, earthy and fresh. This is full-mature and should be consumed over the next 3-5 years. 3,477 Views Tasted Aug 29, 2021 |
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1990
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Fully mature and perhaps even a bit past that point, there is more earth, tobacco, spice and leafy aromatics, than fruit. Dusty, bright, plums line the finish. This is on the way out and requires drinking. 3,484 Views Tasted Nov 14, 2016 |
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1982
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Past full maturity, but there was still some gas left in the tank, which delivered a medium-bodied wine loaded with dried flowers, tobacco leaf, red cherries, herbs, and truffle. Soft in texture, with a plummy edge on the palate, no decanting is warranted here, just pop, pour and let it rip before the fruit continues to fade. Drink from 2022-2025. 2,625 Views Tasted Dec 6, 2022 |
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1979
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
I was surprised at how good this was, the red berries were vibrant, fresh and sweet. Not quite high toned, but on the red fruit side, with a touch of fresh apple is medium bodied, offering tobacco and forest notes to make things more interesting. Not a wine I would hold, but if you see a bottle, it is worth taking a chance on. 2,145 Views Tasted Jan 28, 2018 |
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1961
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Old-school-charm galore here with all of its licorice, leaf, cocoa, strawberry tobacco and dark, cocoa powder nuances. Medium-bodied, elegant and still fresh, with an array of juicy, red, sweet fruits in the finish, this is clearly at peak today. 3,056 Views Tasted Feb 2, 2020Just a stunning wine that captures the beauty, depth and concentration found in the 1961. The wine shows off its tobacco, cedar, wet earth, forest floor and cherry filled personality with ease. Still fresh, with depth, length and complexity, this is a stunner. As good as this is, the wines made at Clos Fourtet today are going to reach much higher levels of quality as they mature. Note, this tasting was based on a magnum from the chateau, so your experience might vary. 3,542 Views Tasted Jul 19, 2018 |
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1949
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
I was more than surprised to find this wine showing so well. It tasted at least 10-20 years younger than I had expected. With a floral, cherry blossom, truffle and cigar store aromatic profile, the soft, silky wine displayed a purity of sweet cherry fruit in its finish. With wines this old, it can go either way, but this fortunately turned out to be a fine example of a fully mature St. Emilion. 3,127 Views Tasted Mar 2, 2016 |
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1947
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Every bottle is different and unique, especially at this age. But this was barely hanging on to life with only a wisp of fruit remaining. I imagine this was fabulous 2 decades ago. 2,351 Views Tasted Mar 25, 2021 |
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1929
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Not a wine I'd ever have guessed I would see, the anticipation was strong for the initial sniff, swirl and sip. Better on the nose, with its secondary aromatics mixing tobacco, flowers, wet earth and cherries. The wine was light and on the palate, although the silky textures and still fresh, pure, red cherry notes remained a treat. I imagine 20-30 years ago, this was probably stunning! 1,805 Views Tasted Nov 19, 2018 |
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1921
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
At 97 years of age, this show stopper of a wine has the silky, exotic, patina of age to its texture, with this, medium bodied, beautiful mix of flowers, cherry and strawberry, buttressed by tobacco leaf, smoke, barbecue and herbs. Elegant, sensuous and still, with purity of fruit in the finish. I could have waited 3 years, until it was 100, but what if the wine was there, and I wasn't? 1,948 Views Tasted Jan 28, 2018Silky, soft, polished, medium bodied, elegant and refined, as well as sensual, the red fruits tasted as good as they felt. 1,739 Views Tasted Apr 13, 2017 |
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1920
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
From a bottle that was never moved from its cold Bordeaux cellar, tea in color with earth, cigar box, tobacco, ash and light cherries. Light on the palate, with a tart, cherry finish, it was still a treat drinking a wine close to 100 years old. 2,636 Views Tasted May 1, 2012 |
