Chateau Clos Fourtet - St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe 2018

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Chateau Clos Fourtet Description

Clos Fourtet / SAINT-ÉMILION GRAND CRU / PREMIER GRAND CRU CLASSÉ

Clos Fourtet has abundantly proved its standing as a Premier Grand Cru Classé, helped in this respect by hard work and major investments by the Cuvelier family, owners since 2001. Located atop the limestone plateau well-known for producing some of the greatest wines in Saint-Émilion, Clos Fourtet has one of the appellation’s best and most famous terroirs. The vines, located in a single block, a stone’s throw from the medieval village, grow atop impressive underground quarries. Winemaking is very traditional, but complemented by the most up-to-date techniques. The wine is extremely elegant and has a strong personality, with incomparable minerality.

Jeb Dunnuck: 97 Points

Tasted on two separate occasions, the 2018 Château Clos Fourtet is a beauty, offering a ripe, powerful style in its crème de cassis, spice box, liquid rock, and incense aromas and flavors. Checking in as a blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon that will see 16 months in 60% new oak, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, loads of flesh, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s slightly more approachable and sexier than the Canon, which shares a similar terroir on the upper plateau, but it’s going to evolve beautifully for at least 20-25 years. It’s a beautiful wine very much in the style of the vintage.

Decanter: 97 Points

Easily as good as the 2015 at this estate, the 2018 may even prove to be better after some ageing. There is depth and concentration to the berry fruits, but also a fine quality to the tannins and a softness overall that suggests nothing was pushed, that all of this power is simply what was naturally given by the vintage. It's very good quality, true to the confidence of the estate, pulsating with rich raspberry and damson notes and playing between a seductive gourmet edge and maintaining its limestone freshness. I have enjoyed a number of older vintages of this wine recently, and I feel pretty sure that this will grow into one of those wines that you are so happy to open after a few decades of ageing. 33hl/ha yield. 60% new oak. (Drink between 2027-2043)

Wine Advocate: 97 Points

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Clos Fourtet (a blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Franc) opens with wonderfully pure, intense black fruit notes of ripe blackberries, crushed black cherries and warm plums, leading to suggestions of pencil lead, clove oil, black olives and aniseed. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of muscular black fruits, delivering compelling vivacity and tension, framed by velvety tannin's and finishing epically long and perfumed. The intense, bright, energetic fruit on this 2018 has been impeccably preserved. Stunning!

Vinous

The 2018 Clos Fourtet has a very pure and intense bouquet with ripe wild strawberry and raspberry aromas, the oak beautifully integrated, perhaps a little less flamboyant than recent vintages? The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, good acidity, fresh and vibrant with firm structure towards the truffle and black pepper tinged finish. This is a wonderful Clos Fourtet from the Cuvelier family. (Drink between 2024-2044)