Clos Fourtet 2020

Coup de coeur Guide Vert 2024 "Naturellement encore très jeune, ce 2020 demande quelques années pour atteindre son harmonie. Mais déjà il incarne le summum de Saint-Émilion. Une définition admirable des arômes (fruits noirs mûrs, craie...), d'un éclat absolu, qui anime une bouche au soyeux inimitable, d'une richesse mesurée et une allonge profonde, magnifiquement calcaire. Il est paré pour une longue garde (plus de trente ans)."

"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."

"Nicely rendered, this manages to belie the vintage's heat, with a focused and streamlined core of dark currant and blackberry fruit studded with licorice snap, violet, alder and tobacco notes along the way. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2028 through 2040. 3,500 cases made, 500 cases imported."

"One of the biggest successes on the upper plateau is the 2020 Château Clos Fourtet, and it does everything right in the vintage. A magical, perfumed bouquet of red plums, black cherries, white truffle, and white flowers just screams Saint-Emilion, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, flawless overall balance, a dense mid-palate, and a liqueur of rocks-like minerality on the palate. Building incrementally with time in the glass, this is thrilling stuff that should offer some up-front appeal in its youth yet benefit from 7-8 years in the cellar and keep for 30 years or more. Bravo! The blend is 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc that’s still resting in 50% new French oak."

"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."

"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."

"The 2020 Clos Fourtet is a towering, statuesque beauty that captures all the personality and character of this site in a wine that marries vertical intensity, power and explosive energy. Black cherry, gravel, menthol, sage, crushed rocks and chocolate all soar out of the glass. This is a tremendous showing from the Cuvelier family."