Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A finely balanced wine—its immense tannins are mitigated by the fruit and dark chocolate flavors. It finishes with a hint of smoky wood.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 Points -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Two consulting oenologists with different philosophies work together at Clos Fourtet. Since Stephane Derenoncourt, a late harvester, and Jean-Claude Barrouet, a much earlier harvester, have joined forces, the results have been exhilarating. This 50-acre vineyard high on the plateau, owned by the Cuvelier family and managed by Tony Balu, had yields of 33 hectoliters per hectare. The 2011, one of the stars of the vintage, is a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by notes of graphite, truffles, blackberries and blueberries. Rich and medium to full-bodied with good acidity, sweet, well-integrated tannin and a hint of forest floor, this big, fleshy St.-Emilion should drink well for two decades.
Barrel Sample: 91-94 Points -
Wine Spectator
Starts slowly, with modest dark plum and blackberry fruit, but then the acidity kicks in and takes the fleshy core and bouncy side notes through the lengthy finish, which has a lovely echo of raspberry.
Barrel Sample: 91-94 Points -
James Suckling
A wine with super fine tannins and a wonderful depth of fruit for the vintage. Very polished and gorgeous. Full-bodied, yet lovely for the year. :-)
Barrel Sample: 91-92 Points
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.