CLOS FOURTET

The 2012 Clos Fourtet was cropped at 32 hectoliters per hectare and achieved 14% natural alcohol. The final blend was 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. It offers an opaque dense purple color along with attractive blackberry, licorice, truffle and cassis fruit notes. It is full-bodied and dense with an authoritative mid-palate, sweet tannin and a layered mouthfeel that builds incrementally into a stunningly long finish. Precocious and charming already, it will drink better at an earlier age than the massive, prodigious 2009. Drink this killer St.-Emilion over the next 15+ years. One can’t say enough about proprietor Cuvelier’s 50-acre vineyard that has witnessed a profound transformation of quality over the last decade or more. Moreover, Cuvelier recently purchased three neighboring estates that are consistently reviewed positively in this publication, Les Grandes Murailles, Clos St.-Martin and Cote Baleau. These were previously owned by Sophie Fourcade. Interestingly, since these three properties are adjacent or close to Clos Fourtet, I would not be surprised if over the next decade they become incorporated into Clos Fourtet. Another great success for Cuvelier and his estate manager, Tony Ballu. 2013 - 2028 Rating: 93-95 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Apr 2013)

Inky with purple rim. Rich, ripe and spicy. More damson than cassis but fresh. Chewy, some oak char, fruit not as rich on the palate as on the nose so finishes a touch too dry/stringy. 2017 - 2024. Rating: 15.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2013)

This château’s high (for St Emilion) percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon is usually a boon in warmer years, but it doesn’t seem to have done the wine any harm in cooler 2012 either. Rich, sensuous and profound, this is very well balanced by acidity, minerality and freshness, reflecting its clay and limestone terroir. One of the three best wines of the appellation in 2012. Drink: 2020-40 Rating: 95 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2013)