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Clos Fourtet 2018

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot

Situated in the heart of Saint Emilion, close to Canon, this is one of the great vineyards of the appellation. The 19 hectares of vines are planted with 87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. 70% new oak is used. Stephane Derenoncourt and J-C Berrouet are consultants here.

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Label

Tasting Notes

Beautiful blueberries and black cherries with crushed-stone and limestone notes. Juniper, too. It’s full-bodied, yet so linear and energetic with focused, fine tannins. Fresh acidity. Really fine-grained tannins here. Drink after 2025.

96
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2021

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Clos Fourtet is a little youthfully mute to begin. With coaxing, it opens out to notes of crushed blackberries, warm black plums and wild blueberries plus suggestions of forest floor, lavender, baking spices and potpourri. Full-bodied, the palate has an amazing texture of soft, plush tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the layer upon layer of berries and spices, finishing long and fragrant. Total time in barrel should run 16 months in 60% new and 40% one-year old barriques. The blend is 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Franc.

95/97
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (April 2019), April 2019

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.

Drinking Window 2027 - 2043

97
Jane Anson, Decanter.com, April 2019

Tasted blind. Composed, integrated nose. Gentle palate with tannins mastered by lots of ripe, energetic fruit. Quite a bit of alcohol though… 14.5%
Drink 2028 – 2044

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2022

Black with almost no rim. Very ripe, sun-baked but not raisined black fruit. A touch spirity on the nose. Creamy, deep but some freshness here, though the whole is not yet meshed. Chewy on the finish. Big but should even out in the bottle.
Drink 2024-2030

16
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2019

A deep, inky colour in the glass, this is sweet and powerful in aroma, with ripe blue fruits and a touch of sweet vanilla from the oak. With a dense, rich core of cassis, damson and sweet spices, this is a modern take but still finds harmony as it is fleshy rather than extracted. The tannins are ripe and supple, giving an opulent mouthfeel and added richness to the fruit. The finish is long and seductive, all damson, nutmeg and clove.

92
Farr Vintners, Farr Tasting, April 2019

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.

95/97
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, May 2019

Dark plum and boysenberry fruit is laced with tobacco and chalk notes, while the fleshy grip slowly builds through the finish. This is seriously long, and though the fruit is gorgeous, the minerality steals the show in the end.

96/99
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, March 2019

(90 Merlot, 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 Cabernet Franc) | 60% new oak | 14% alc Always a tough wine in its youth, this is a structured, earthy vintage and the tannins are rather aggressive and raw. There is decent depth of fruit but it is quite one-dimensional and the finish is shorter than hoped for.

16.5+
Matthew Jukes, MatthewJukes.com, April 2019
Read more tasting notes...

This is one of the best wines I have had from here. Full-bodied yet focused and super dynamic. Tight and linear with fantastic length and energy at the end. Exciting.

96/97
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2019
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.