Clos Fourtet

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Château Clos Fourtet is a Bordeaux wine estate located in the commune of Saint Emilion in Gironde. The grand vin Clos Fourtet is a Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B. Clos Fourtet currently has nearly 19 hectares of vines. Its terroir is naturally drained with clay-limestone soil. The vines are 25 years old on average. The harvest is carried out in the great winemaking traditions with hand-picking, while respecting the environment through the use of organic fertilizers.

The best vintages of Clos Fourtet are 1945, the 1949 wines and the 1953 vintage. Then, we suggest the Clos Fourtet 1982 and 1989 vintages. Finally, the Château Clos Fourtet 2005 and Château Clos Fourtet 2009 are exceptional.

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The history of Château Clos Fourtet

 

In the Middle Ages, the current site of Château Clos Fourtet housed a fortified camp whose mission was to defend the town of Saint-Émilion. At the time, some vines were already cultivated near this fortified camp. Built during the Ancien Régime, Château Clos Fourtet was long uninhabited and became famous thanks to its owners, the lords of Figeac, in the 18th century. Château Clos Fourtet proudly displays on its label the 3 gold medals received in the past at the Paris Universal Exhibitions (1867 and 1900) as well as the Bordeaux International and Universal Exhibition (1895).

 

From Jean Rulleau, the oldest known owner in 1702, to Pierre-Ferdinand Leperche in 1896, no less than 10 owners succeeded one another at the head of what was then called the Camfourtet estate. At the end of the 19th century, the estate changed its name to become Clos Fourtet. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Cahuzac and then Ginestet families were in charge of the château. In 1949, François Lurton exchanged the 40% stake in the civil society of Château Margaux for Clos Fourtet without its bottle inventory.

 

In 1955, the estate joined the first Saint-Émilion classification in the Premier Grand Cru Classé B category.

 

In 2001, Philippe Cuvelier acquired Clos Fourtet from the Lurton family. He decided to entrust the management of the château to his son Matthieu. Since 2018, Stéphane Derenoncourt has become the estate's consulting oenologist, Jean-Claude Berrouet, director of Petrus at the time, participates as a consultant. In the latest edition of the Saint Emilion wine classification in 2022, Château Clos Fourtet was retained as Premier Grand Cru Classé, and in the same year, the vineyard of Château Les Grandes Murailles was integrated into that of Clos Fourtet.

 

What are the characteristics of Château Clos Fourtet wines?

  

The estate spans 19 hectares located on the highest western slopes of Saint-Émilion, with plantings consisting of Merlot (83%), Cabernet Sauvignon (9%) and Cabernet Franc (8%). The grapes are harvested manually in small crates, followed by manual and optical sorting. Vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats for 25 to 30 days before aging for 14-18 months in 60-80% new oak barrels.

 

On the highest parts of the plateau, a thin layer of limestone is found on the surface. This layer absorbs and reflects the sun's heat, which promotes more intense grape ripening and mineral concentration. On the other hand, the lower areas of the vineyard are composed of sandy and clay soils, which produce tannin-rich grapes, thus giving the wines a more pronounced structure.

 

Unique natural cellars

 

Under the estate, at depths of 6 to 12 meters, lies a gigantic network of quarries covering an area of 13 hectares, almost as much as the wine estate on the surface. Fresh and healthy air circulates permanently, making it a perfect natural cellar where 250 barrels and 100,000 bottles are stored.

  

The best vintages of Château Clos Fourtet

  

The best wines from the Château are: Clos Fourtet 1929, 1945, 1949 and 1953. Also notable are the Clos Fourtet vintages 1982, 1989. Finally, the Château Clos Fourtet 2005 and Château Clos Fourtet 2009 are particularly exceptional.

  

Food and wine pairings

 

The following dishes will wonderfully accompany the wines of Château Clos Fourtet: grilled beef, venison haunch with mushrooms, pan-seared duck foie gras, leg of lamb with vegetables, tournedos Rossini.

 

Château website

 

http://www.closfourtet.com/fr

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