Clos Fourtet - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2020

Wine Spectator

94 / 100

byJames Molesworththe3/31/2023

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.

The Wine Cellar Insider

98 / 100

byJeff Levethe3/22/2023

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.

Alexandre Ma

97 / 100

byAlexandre Mathe3/15/2023

Wines Critic

96 /

byRaffaele Vecchionethe3/10/2023

It immediately gives energy and character in the glass with notes of plums, black prunes, sour cherries, grape must, citronella, vetiver, sandalwood, incense and cumin. Full bodied, pefectly extracted and polymerized tannins and a noble, essential finale. Better from 2026.

Vinous

98 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe2/24/2023

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.

Vinous

95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe2/15/2023

The 2020 Clos Fourtet has a gorgeous, complex bouquet with ample red berry fruit, undergrowth, sage and hints of pencil box coming through with time. This is very classy. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity and seamlessly integrated new oak. Backward at the moment, this will require a few years in bottle, but it will age with style and panache.

Jane Anson

97 / 100

byJane Ansonthe1/16/2023

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.

Jamessuckling.com

97 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe1/16/2023

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.

Wine Spectator

94 / 100

byJames Molesworththe11/30/2022

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.

La Revue du Vin de France

96-98 / 100

the6/7/2021

Ce millésime atteint une maturité de fruit exceptionnelle. Le potentiel d’anthocyanes et de tanins était tel à la récolte que l’extraction douce fut une évidence. Tout venait naturellement. Un fruit magnifique mêlé d’orange sanguine précède un moelleux formidable, délicat qui développe un fruit onctueux porté par les calcaires et un tanin ciselé.

Le Figaro

93-95 / 100

the6/2/2021

Un bouquet d'arômes qui se déroule avec la sensualité d'un ruban de soie : des notes de fraises au sirop, mêlées de clafoutis de cerises. Une explosion suave de fruits frais, traversée par une finale pleine d'acidité et d'énergie.

Vinous

96-98 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe6/1/2021

A wine of stature and breeding, the 2020 Clos Fourtet is absolutely breathtaking from barrel. A rush of lavender, graphite, spice, licorice and espresso hits the senses. Vibrant and powerful, yet also remarkably light on its feet, the 2020 has so much of offer. All the elements are so crisp, so beautifully defined. The 2020 is all class. It is one of the most promising wines of this young vintage and a fabulous effort from the Cuvelier family. Don't miss it.

Jeb DUNNUCK

97-99 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/28/2021

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.

Vinous

95-97 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/27/2021

The 2020 Clos Fourtet was picked September 15–30 at 40hl/ha and matured in 50% new oak. It has an expressive, winsome bouquet of red and blue fruit, crushed rose and iris, touches of blood orange coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins and wonderful acidity. Harmonious and almost crystalline toward the finish. This is a very impressive Clos Fourtet that brims with freshness and persistence, gaining weight and depth over the course of an hour. It will battle the 2019 for supremacy.

Decanter.com

96 / 100

byJane Ansonthe5/25/2021

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.

The Wine Cellar Insider

96-98 / 100

byJeff Levethe5/21/2021

Dark garnet in color, the wine gets your attention quickly with its licorice, smoke, dark cocoa, chalk and plummy aromas. Pure silk and velvet on the palate, with a fabulous sense of purity in the fruits, lift, length, richness, concentration and minerality. This is clearly a top vintage for Clos Fourtet that will age for decades. The wine was made from blending 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% ABV.

Wine Advocate

96-98 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/20/2021

The 2020 Clos Fourtet is a blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, harvested from 15th to 30th September and weighing in with an alcohol of 14.5% and a pH of 3.6. It is being aged for 14-18 months in 50% new oak barrels, 48% second-fill barrels and 2% amphora. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes bounding out of the glass with ripe, expressive notes of crushed black plums, juicy black berries and black cherry preserves, followed by hints of ground cloves, cinnamon stick, camphor and cedar chest. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with bright, vivacious black fruits, framed by velvety tannins and bags of freshness, finishing with great length.

Anthocyanes

95-97 / 100

byYohan Castaingthe5/11/2021

Moins boisé qu'à l'accoutumée, Clos Fourtet 2020 offre des notes de fruits frais, de cassis et de myrtille avec une pointe boisée. Bouche juteuse, charnue, une belle tension calcaire pour un vin qui ne montre plus ses muscles mais joue le registre de l'élégance. Belle allonge.

Bernard Burtschy

98-99 / 100

byBernard Burtschythe5/10/2021

Falstaff

94-96 / 100

the5/10/2021

Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Mineralisch unterlegte dunkle Waldbeerfrucht, zart nach Lakritze und Cassis, feiner Edelholztouch. Kraftvoll, saftig und rund, reife Tannine, feine Süße im Abgang, salzig-kalkige Frische im Finale, sicheres Reifepotenzial.

My Bettane + Desseauve

97-98 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/7/2021

Jamessuckling.com

95-96 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/23/2021

This is really something with so much tension and focus and a persistent, long finish that lasts for minutes. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and so long. Such polish and finesse. Elegance with power.