2003 Clos Fourtet St. Émilion Grand Cru Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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2003
Clos Fourtet (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Violets, mint, chocolate, truffle, crushed rocks and roasted cherries pop as soon as the wine hits the glass. On the palate, lush, warm plums, cherries, cocoa spice, with a buttery texture and a finish loaded with Indian spices, cocoa powder and roasted red and dark red fruits. Fully mature, no decanting needed, just pop, pour and enjoy. Drink from 2023-2030. 3,422 Views Tasted Dec 30, 2023Ripe, OK very ripe, but it is not over the top, or too much. Opulent, velvet-textured, dark plums, black cherries, hints of fig, smoke, licorice, wet earth and cocoa are all over the place. No decanting is needed. Just pop, pour and enjoy the texturally, hedonistic ride. 3,847 Views Tasted Oct 14, 2021I tasted this wine twice in Bordeaux a few weeks ago, and now with a pristine bottle from my cellar. Each of the three bottles showed consistent results. This is not quite the overtly, sexed up, potent treat from its opulent youth. Fully mature, the wine is soft, silky, plush, ripe and packed with a melange of ripe and over ripe, plum and cherry notes ending with velvety, opulent textures. My only fear is this needs to be consumed sooner than later. I'd opt for drinking this over the next 5 to 10 years. 5,076 Views Tasted May 4, 2014Showing an advanced color, with cooked, jammy berries, forest floor, smoke and tobacco notes, this needs to be consumed sooner than later before the rest of the fruit fades away. 5,451 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2013Licorice, chocolate, black and blue fruit, cherries and stone scents, fat, rich, plush textures and a silky, opulent finish. This is a lot of fun to drink today and it's only going to get better and develop additional layers of complexity as it starts to improve. This is a very lusty, sexy style of St. Emilion. 6,504 Views Tasted Jun 17, 2012Filled with licorice, stone, blackberry jam, cocoa and black cherry liqueur, while not mature, this St. Emilion is starting to drink well. Full bodied, lush and concentrated with ripe, dark berries and minerality, the wine ends with rich sensations of fennel, chocolate and plum. 8,060 Views Tasted Aug 11, 2011 |
When to Drink Clos Fourtet, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Clos Fourtet is much better with at least 10-15 years of aging in good vintages. Young vintages can be decanted for 2-3 hours or more. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume.
Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Clos Fourtet offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 12-35 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Clos Fourtet with Wine and Food Pairings
Clos Fourtet is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Clos Fourtet is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Clos Fourtet is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.