2019 Clos Fourtet Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé

The 2019 Clos Fourtet Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé is a supremely elegant Right Bank Bordeaux from one of the appellation’s most prized limestone plateaus. Sitting just opposite the great church of Saint-Émilion, this wine captures the purity, depth and finesse that have made Clos Fourtet a benchmark estate. The 2019 vintage combines classical structure with vibrant fruit, making it both seriously ageworthy and immediately captivating.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2019 Clos Fourtet is deep, vibrant ruby with garnet highlights, reflecting its concentration and youth. The nose is complex and inviting, offering layered aromas of wild berries, ripe blackcurrant and black cherry, interwoven with pencil shavings, black truffle, hints of smoke, crushed violets and a subtle mineral edge from the limestone soils. On the palate, this is medium to full-bodied with a perfectly judged sense of balance. A concentrated core of dark fruit is framed by beautifully refined, silky tannins and a lively, refreshing acidity that keeps everything precise and lifted. Flavors of blackberry, plum and cassis mingle with notes of graphite, savory truffle, tobacco leaf and a saline, almost chalky finish that lingers gracefully. The structure and freshness suggest excellent aging potential: this wine will drink well from early maturity but will really hit its stride after 7–10 years in bottle and can evolve harmoniously for 20 years or more in a good cellar.

Production
Clos Fourtet’s 19-hectare vineyard sits on the coveted limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion, where a clay topsoil lies over pure, fissured limestone—an ideal terroir for Merlot and its Bordeaux companions. The well-drained yet water-retentive subsoil helps the vines withstand hot, dry summers while preserving freshness and aromatic complexity. The grapes, dominated by Merlot complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, are harvested entirely by hand with an initial strict selection made in the vineyard. In the cellar, fruit is sorted again, then vinified parcel by parcel, typically in temperature-controlled stainless steel or concrete vats to preserve purity of fruit. Extraction is gentle, focusing on finesse rather than sheer power, and the wine is aged in French oak barrels, a significant portion of them new, for roughly 16–18 months, allowing the tannins to polish and the wine’s mineral-laced complexity to emerge without being overwhelmed by wood.

Food & Serving
The 2019 Clos Fourtet is a superb partner for refined dishes such as roast lamb with herbs, beef tenderloin, duck breast, veal chops or game birds with truffle-infused sauces. It also complements mushroom-based dishes, earthy lentil preparations and aged hard cheeses like Comté or Manchego. Serve at 16–18°C (about 60–64°F) to highlight its aromatic precision and textural finesse. For young bottles, decanting for 1–2 hours helps the wine open up and soften the tannins; more mature bottles may require only a gentle splash-decant to remove any sediment.

Producer
Château Clos Fourtet is one of the historic stars of Saint-Émilion, classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé and renowned for its exceptional limestone terroir. The estate’s origins date back to at least the Middle Ages, with its underground limestone quarries and strategic position just outside the ancient village walls testifying to centuries of viticultural history. Modern quality at Clos Fourtet was elevated significantly under the stewardship of the Cuvelier family, who have combined meticulous vineyard work with thoughtful, terroir-driven winemaking. Today, Clos Fourtet is considered among the leading estates on the plateau, regularly earning high critical acclaim and standing as a reference point for graceful, ageworthy, Merlot-driven Saint-Émilion.

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