Clos Fourtet - St.-Emilion Grand Cru 2018
Price: $149.99
| Producer | Clos Fourtet |
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| Country | France |
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| Region | Bordeaux |
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| Subregion | St.-Emilion |
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| Varietal | Bordeaux Blend |
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| Vintage | 2018 |
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| Sku | 26712 |
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Jeb Dunnuck: 97 Points
Beautiful all the way, the deep purple hued 2018 Château Clos Fourtet comes from one of the prized terroirs on the upper limestone plateau, just outside the village of Saint-Emilion. The blend is 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up in 60% new French oak. Gorgeous minerality as well as cassis and ripe black cherry fruits emerge from this full-bodied 2018 that has lots of tobacco and spice-driven aromatics, again, an almost searing minerality, beautiful overall balance, and ripe, building tannins. It benefits from air if opening bottles anytime soon, and it’s going to benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades in cold cellars.
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!
Decanter Magazine: 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.
James Suckling: 96 Points
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.
Wine Spectator: 95 Points
Juicy, winey and very compact in feel, with racy acidity and chalky minerality imbedded deeply in the core of sleek cassis, bitter cherry and damson plum flavors. Nice flecks of savory and dried anise dot the finish, where everything echoes nicely. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2038.
