Clos Fourtet 2025

Clos Fourtet lies on the limestone plateau at the gates of Saint-Émilion in Bordeaux, a 1er Grand Cru estate farmed organically with cellars cut into the rock below. The vineyard sits on shallow clay over solid limestone, and the cellars run through the underground galleries quarried over centuries. Limestone holds water in dry spells and reflects heat onto the vines, giving freshness, length and a firm mineral spine. Merlot leads the blend, with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon adding structure and lift. The 2025 ages 18 months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange through the staves builds and rounds the tannins, stabilises colour and folds in cedar, toast and spice. The wine is deep and concentrated, with a nose of dark blackberry, plum and black cherry edged with cherry liqueur, iris and liquorice. The palate is dense and structured, the limestone driving a fresh, saline line through ripe but firm tannins, and the finish is long and mineral. This is a wine to cellar, or to decant well ahead if opened young. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees with roast beef, lamb or game.