The 2018 Clos Fourtet Bordeaux Blend from Saint-Émilion, France, is a highly regarded wine, praised for its complexity, structure, and aging potential. This red wine, produced by Clos Fourtet, is composed predominantly of Merlot (90%), with smaller proportions of Cabernet Franc (7%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (3%). It features a 14.0% alcohol content and is sealed with a cork.
James Suckling awarded this wine a score of 96, highlighting its "beautiful blueberries and black cherries with crushed-stone and limestone notes," and described it as "full-bodied, yet so linear and energetic with focused, fine tannins." He recommends drinking it after 2025 to allow the tannins to further integrate.
Wine Enthusiast's Roger Voss gave the wine an impressive score of 97, noting its powerful structure and massive fruit concentration. He emphasized the wine's potential for long aging, suggesting it be enjoyed after 2027 to fully appreciate its development.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, represented by Lisa Perrotti-Brown, also rated the Clos Fourtet 2018 at 97 points. She described its deep garnet-purple color and "intense black fruit notes of ripe blackberries, crushed black cherries, and warm plums," along with secondary notes of pencil lead and aniseed. Perrotti-Brown praised its "compelling vivacity and tension" and its "epically long and perfumed" finish.
Jeff Leve of TheWineCellarInsider.com echoed these sentiments with another 97-point review, noting the wine's "inky color" and floral nature, alongside its "beautifully ripe, red and black fruits, spice, dark chocolate, licorice, espresso, and crushed rock character." He highlighted the wine’s rich, voluptuous textures and purity.
Jeb Dunnuck also rated the wine at 97 points, describing it as "beautiful all the way," with "gorgeous minerality" and "cassis and ripe black cherry fruits." He noted its "tobacco and spice-driven aromatics" and “ripe, building tannins.”
Vinous' Antonio Galloni gave the highest score of 98, calling it "one of the most elegant, refined wines of the vintage." He praised its "blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol, and sage," and emphasized its "tension and delineation."
Other notable reviews include a 95 from Decanter, highlighting its "roasted fruit profile" and long finish, and a 97 from Jane Anson, who described its "juicy raspberry, concentrated cassis fruit pastille," and "spiced plum, grilled almonds, and tobacco leaf."
In summary, the 2018 Clos Fourtet is a well-structured, complex wine with significant aging potential, receiving high praise across multiple reviewers for its fruit intensity, tannic structure, and mineral notes.