Clos Fourtet 2021

St Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé B

Excel download

View All Vintages of this Wine

Units Size Case size GBP Price: Quantities Buy
Tasting Notes

Austere opening beats, with sculpted, savoury and understated black cherry and pomegrante fruits, subdued but with beautiful finesse and a slow build through the palate. Love the kick of oyster shell salinity on the finish, and the peony floral aromatics that keep you engaged. A reasonable yield of 40hl/h as its location again protected from frost. Clay-limestone soils. 50% new oak, 2% amphoras. The sheer class of this estate has come through more strongly after ageing, and this is a single point upscore.

Score: 94

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2026-2040 21 February 2024

90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Quite a bit of charm aromatically. Floral notes – iris and dried rose. Fleshy but polished, the tannins very fine. Freshness and grip on the finish so some persistence. Elegance over power. (JL)

Score: 16+

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2028-2040 13 May 2022

A polished and creamy red with bright currant, raspberry and clove character. Silky, supple tannins and fresh acidity. Excellent length.

Score: 93 - 94

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 01 May 2022

The 2021 Clos Fourtet is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. Towering in its stature, the 2021 is a regal wine endowed with tremendous energy and vibrancy. This classically austere Saint-Émilion oozes class from the very first taste. Blue/purplish fruit, spice, lavender and menthol are some of the aromas and flavors that build into the resonant, deeply pitched finish. What a wine.

Score: 94 - 96

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2031-2061 01 May 2022

The 2021 Clos Fourtet was picked September 28 to October 15 and matured in 50% new oak. Around 20% of the vats underwent saignée. This has a powerful bouquet of dark cherries, red plum, mint and violets. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. A less concentrated Clos Fourtet, even with the bleeding, but it retains balance and displays salinity and precision on the finish. This is promising, though it might be eclipsed by the 2019 and the 2020 in the long term. Still, I can see this maturing in style. (13.5% alcohol)

Score: 91 - 93

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2048 01 May 2022

A bend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Clos Fourtet offers up inviting aromas of wild berries and plums mingled with hints of black truffle, violets, potpourri and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, it's lively and layered, with beautifully refined tannins, bright acids and a long, sapid finish. Harvest lasted until October 15, which shows in unusual depth and plenitude for the vintage. Tasted three times.

Score: 93 - 95

William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 29 April 2022

Another terrific Saint-Emilion from the upper plateau, the 2021 Château Clos Fourtet is 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Franc that's pulled from 70% of the total production. The soils here include slightly more clay than its neighbor, Canon, and the wine is always a touch more powerful. The 2021 has 15% of the blend go through malolactic fermentation in barrel, and the élevage will span 16-18 months in 60% new oak. Dense purple-hued, with ample black fruits, roasted herbs, chocolate, and chalkiness, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a great mid-palate, ripe tannins, and one heck of a finish. It's an undeniable success that will shine in its youth yet also evolve gracefully. Tasted multiple times.

Score: 93 - 95

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 06 February 2022