98 VM / 98 WI / 98 WCI / 97+ JD / 97 JA / 97 JS / 97 DE / 96 WE / 95 FS / 17++ JR
#58 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of France 2023
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. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Clos Fourtet is a little closed to begin, starting off with cedar and crushed rocks notions before scents of black cherry compote, wild blueberries, and dark chocolate emerge, plus suggestions of violets and licorice. The full-bodied palate is packed with tightly wound, muscular black fruits, supported by ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral-laced. The blend is 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent
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.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider
Much more closed and backward now from bottle, the 2020 Château Clos Fourtet is nevertheless a brilliant Saint-Emilion that ranks with the crème de la crème of the vintage. A blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc, its deep purple hue is followed by an incredibly pure, classic Saint-Emilion bouquet of darker cherry and cassis-like fruit as well as chalky minerality, lead pencil shavings, and white flowers. Concentrated, full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced, it has perfectly integrated oak, an incredible sense of minerality, good acidity, and a great finish. It's going to need a solid decade of bottle age but will evolve for 30-40+ years in cold cellars. The Château deserves far more attention in the market today as they’re consistently producing some of the greatest wines in a vintage. - Jeb Dunnuck
Wonderful limestone character, walking the tightrope of tannins, acidity and fruit, remains pretty austere even after ageing, and this is one to put away for another six or seven years. Serious and concentrated, with creamy blueberry, raspberry and damson pueree appearing as it opens in the glass. 40 hl/ha yield. 18.5ha estate, that will increase in size as of the 2022 vintage due to incusion of neighbouring Les Grands Murailles. Stéphane Derencourt and Jean-Claude Berrouet consultants, Matthieu Cuvelier owner. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
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. - James Suckling
Dark, brooding nose, jammy and ripe, heady and evocative. Really beautiful texture, grip, length and overall styling here. I like this more than the 2019, it’s dark with tons of liquorice and spice - wood is on show, but this has an excellent frame and such allure. Sensual, chalky and grippy in a good way with such persistence and length, mouthfilling but elegant at the same time. Bramble fruit flavours with cool blueberries, pomegranates and raspberries and lovely licks of wet stone and slate. Serious power but not taken too far. This has sex appeal with a gorgeous juiciness keeping things pure and lively. A clear standout. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter
This wine's structure is massive. Serious tannins are matched with generous black fruits. Acidity gives a succulent character at the back of all this dense texture. It's a wine to age. Drink from 2028. Editor's Choice. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast
Deep dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, a multi-faceted bouquet of inviting dark berry fruit, ripe plum, some liquorice, and delicate nougat. The juicy palate is complex, with taut tannins, good freshness, dark berry and cherry fruit and a saline finish. Still under developed at the moment, the wine is persistent and promises future ageing potential.-Peter Moser, Falstaff
Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Dark and slightly charry on the nose. Firm, charry and dark on the palate but the tannins are very fine and there’s freshness to balance all that pure dark fruit. Needs a lot of time.-Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson
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