Going Underground: Clos Fourtet 1989-2019

BY NEAL MARTIN | MAY 13, 2025

I love a good cave. The deeper, the darker, the better. I have vivid memories of a sixth-form geography trip, when our army-officer-turned-teacher frogmarched his pupils down a pothole in the Lake District. It was an exercise that broke every Health & Safety rule. How we laughed as a more rotund member of the class got stuck in the aptly named “Cheese Press.” Who’d phone his mother? Diving underwater and swimming into hidden caverns, clambering down in the pitch-black into more nothingness…It was exhilarating, suicidal, and we learned a bit about limestone pavement formation. Of course, these days you’d just look in a textbook.

Clos Fourtet has its own subterranean maze that extends far and wide, albeit one that is manmade instead of formed by acidic rainwater dissolving limestone over millions of years. Inspecting the network with Proprietor Mathieu Cuvelier in December 2024, I did not need a helmet lamp or rope.

Clos Fourtet has become one of Saint-Émilion’s most respected growths under the Cuvelier family. An instructive vertical tasting shone a light on how recent vintages are performing.

History

The etymology of Clos Fourtet comes from “Camp Fortet,” or the “small fort” that was located on the present site during the Hundred Years’ War. It could be argued that the estate’s roots stretch back a lot further in history than much of the Left Bank. Remains of a Dominican convent lie on the fringe of Saint-Émilion. The Rulleau family bought the land in the 17th century and, according to Henri Enjalbert, Elie Rulleau vastly improved the viticulture by cultivating noble grape varieties from older vines. There is scant information about the property in the 19th century, though the 1874 edition of the Féret guide lists one R. Martin Cahuzac as proprietor of what the guide unofficially classified as a Premier Cru alongside Canon and Magdelaine. At that time, the vineyard would have comprised more Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, each occupying around one-quarter of plantings according to David Peppercorn, who waxes lyrical about Clos Fourtet’s wines from the twenties to the fifties.

The château lies on the fringe of Saint-Émilion village and occupies one of the eminent positions at the top of the limestone plateau.

Fernand Ginestet owned Clos Fourtet after the First World War, and in 1948, he sold it to François Lurton in exchange for shares in Château Margaux. Clos Fourtet was run by various members of the Lurton dynasty who are listed in the book written by Ginestet’s grandson, Bernard, namely Madame Noël, then Messieurs André, Lucien and Dominique. To be frank, none of them produced bona fide great wine, as testified by a rather humdrum vertical tasting in London in 2008. The last to oversee Clos Fourtet was André Lurton’s nephew, Pierre Lurton, preceding his appointment at Cheval Blanc and Yquem for LVMH. Whenever I mention Clos Fourtet, Lurton always seems to look back wistfully at his tenure, to wit, where he learned his chops as a winemaker.

Philippe Cuvelier acquired the château in 2001. This was a turning point, since the family had the financial means to invest—pulling out unproductive vines, installing stainless steel vats and from 2018, converting the vineyard to biodynamics. In 2013, the Cuvelier family bought the adjacent Les Grands Murailles and Côte de Baleau from Sophie Fourcade to add to holdings that already included Poujeaux in Moulis-en-Médoc.

Since the acquisition, Philippe Cuvelier’s son, Mathieu, has directed the estate. I have known Mathieu Cuvelier since the earliest days of my career. He has a great sense of self-effacing humour, as anyone who attended the Vinous Icons 2009 Bordeaux seminar in Miami last November will attest. Hereon, I hand the microphone to him. Cuvelier replied to my questions in both French and English, so why not reproduce his answers in both?

NM: What did your family do before they bought Clos Fourtet?

MC: « Ancien entrepreneur du secteur de la papeterie, mon père Philippe Cuvelier avait créer avec mon oncle, son beau-frère, une entreprise de distribution de fournitures de bureaux à travers l’Europe. Avant de vendre ce business et faire l’acquisition du domaine de Clos Fourtet en 2001 à la famille Lurton. »

“My father, Philippe Cuvelier, is an entrepreneur who created with his brother-in-law, my uncle, a company that distributed office supplies across Europe before he sold the business and acquired Clos Fourtet in 2001 from the Lurton family.”

NM: What encouraged your family to enter the wine business?

MC: « Venus du nord de la France et d’univers totalement étrangers au vin, le choix de ma famille se porte sur cette propriété emblématique de Saint-Emilion pour ce que nous envisageons comme un investissement de plaisir et l’occasion d’apprendre un nouveau métier. Mon père a tout de même toujours été un amoureux des grands vins de Bordeaux. »

“Coming from northern France and industries entirely unrelated to wine, my family chose this iconic property in Saint-Émilion as what we saw as a ‘pleasurable investment and an opportunity to learn a new craft.’ My father has always been a lover of the great wines of Bordeaux.”

NM: Did you yourself take over the running of the estate from 2001?

MC: « Ce n’est qu’en 2005 que je prends véritablement la gérance du Clos. Un changement qui n’en n’est pas un puisque je continue de m’appuyer sur une équipe de fidèles présents sur le domaine longtemps avant mon arrivée et restés à mes côtés. En 2008, la famille s’étend du côté médocain devenant propriétaire de Château Poujeaux dont je prends également la gérance, de même que celle des deux grands crus classés de Saint-Emilion acquis en 2013 : Les Grandes Murailles et ses 2 ha jouxtant celles de Fourtet, ainsi que les 15 ha de Côte de Baleau. »

“It wasn’t until 2005 that I truly took over the management of Clos Fourtet. However, it was a seamless transition, as I continued to rely on a loyal team that had been part of the estate long before my arrival and remained by my side. In 2008, our family expanded into the Médoc region by acquiring Château Poujeaux, which also came under my management. Then, in 2013, we added two more Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé properties to our portfolio: Les Grandes Murailles, with its two hectares adjoining those of Clos Fourtet, and the 15 hectares of Côte de Baleau.”

This map was hanging in the tasting room when I visited the château during primeur. It gives a neat presentation of the layout of vines.

NM: Can you give me specifics about the vineyard: soil type, size, cépagement, rootstock, etc.? Is there anything that distinguishes it from nearby estates like Canon or Bécot?

MC: « Le vignoble de Clos Fourtet s’étend aujourd’hui sur 22 hectares. Il se compose de 2 ilots. Un ilot principal - 17 hectares d’un seul tenant, clos de murs, côteau exposé au Nord qui préserve la fraicheur (pente d’environ 4%), point culminant du versant ouest du plateau calcaire avec une altitude de 86 mètres. Zone particulièrement exposée aux vents qui protègent nos vignes des gelées de printemps et évite l’humidité excessive et donc les maladies. Sous-sols calcaires affleurants (entre 30 et 50 cm sur le haut), cette nature de sol permet un vrai tampon hydrique. Pendant les périodes humides, l’eau de pluie traverse le calcaire et n’est jamais excessive au niveau des racines. Lors des sécheresses, elle est restituée à la vigne par capillarité. Le calcaire permet également par sa fraicheur de limiter le réchauffement des sols et ainsi la vie microbienne.

Un ilot secondaire distant d’environ 300 mètres : 5 hectares, côteau exposé au Sud (pente supérieure à 6%), sols calcaires sur le haut et plus argileux sur le milieu et le bas de côte. Les vignes sur argiles, zones principales de production de la Closerie de Fourtet, murissent plus lentement, nous permettant ainsi un bon étalement de la récolte. »

Le vignoble se compose de 85% de Merlot, 8% de Cabernet Franc issus de notre propre sélection massale et 7% de Cabernet Sauvignon (avec une sélection massale en cours). Nous avons opté pour une grande diversité de porte-greffes (10) en fonction du cépage, du sol et du sous-sol (41B, 420A, Fercal, Riparia Gloire de Montpellier, 161-49, 3309, 101-14, 333 EM, SO4, Gravesac). L’âge moyen des vignes constitutives du Grand Vin est d’environ 35 ans. Depuis 2011, nous respectons un repos des sols de 3 à 5 ans et les nouvelles plantations sont réalisées à 9200 pieds/hectare. »

“The Clos Fourtet vineyard now spans 22 hectares divided into two distinct plots. The main plot is 17 hectares enclosed by stone walls. It is a north-facing slope with a 4% incline, which helps maintain freshness. In terms of elevation, the highest point of the western side of the limestone plateau is at 86 meters. This altitude and exposure to strong winds protect the vines from spring frosts and excessive humidity, reducing disease risks. In terms of soil, there are shallow limestone subsoils that are 30–50 centimeters deep at the top of the slope. This type of soil provides excellent water regulation. During wet periods, rainwater filters through the limestone and prevents excess moisture at the root level. In dry conditions, the limestone releases stored water via capillarity. The limestone’s natural coolness also limits soil warming, fostering microbial life.

The second plot comprises five hectares located 300 meters from the main vineyard. It is a south-facing slope with a steeper incline (6+%). Limestone dominates the upper slope, transitioning to more clay-rich soils mid- and lower-slope. The vines on clay soils are the primary source for the Closerie de Fourtet. They ripen more slowly, allowing for a well-distributed harvest schedule.

The vineyard comprises 85% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc from our own massal selection and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, where a massal selection is also in progress. In terms of rootstock, there is a diverse selection of ten rootstocks tailored to grape variety, soil and subsoil that includes 41B, 420A, Fercal, Riparia Gloire de Montpellier, 161-49, 3309, 101-14, 333 EM, SO4, and Gravesac. The average age of vines contributing to the Grand Vin is approximately 35 years. Since 2011, we have allowed the soil to rest for three to five years before replanting. New plantings are conducted at a density of 9,200 vines per hectare to optimize quality and soil management.”

NM: Has the viticulture changed over the years? Can you give details about the introduction of biodynamics and whether that has changed the wine? What were the challenges in 2024, when the rainfall was so high?

MC: « Nous avons fait évoluer notre viticulture au fil du temps. Des pratiques plus respectueuses de l’environnement sont mises en place…Limitation des intrants et introduction progressive des principes de la viticulture biologique puis biodynamique. A ce jour, nous ne revendiquons aucune certification car notre approche est plus pragmatique que philosophique et éloignée des cahiers des charges voulus par ces organismes. Plantation de nombreuses haies et arbres pour faciliter la biodiversité dans le vignoble. Mise en place d’une politique de repos des sols avec des cultures intermédiaires pour redonner de la vie dans les sols et ainsi pérenniser les futures plantations. Adaptation de nos travaux des sols et introduction des engrais verts pour favoriser l’équilibre naturel des sols, décompacter et limiter la hausse des températures en été. Certification HVE4 et ISO14001. Utilisation de notre propre sélection massale pour nos plantations de Cabernet Franc et de sélections massales multiples pour les Merlot afin de favoriser une diversité qualitative et ne pas appauvrir notre matériel végétal. Une étude de sélection massale sur nos vieux Cabernet Sauvignon est en cours et finalement, utilisation d’une machinerie agricole de plus en plus perfectionner pour intervenir.

Toutes nos convictions vers une agriculture plus respectueuses de notre environnement, nous ont permis d’observer une évolution positive de nos sols et une meilleure santé de notre domaine. Cela nous permet de voir l’avenir avec plus de confiance et sérénité. Nous avons ainsi vu évoluer notre vin vers un style plus identitaire et représentatif de son terroir.

Les conditions climatiques du millésime 2024 avec une pression parasitaire exceptionnelle ne nous ont pas permis de préserver notre la totalité de notre récolte avec une protection 100% Bio comme nous y parvenons la plupart du temps. Cependant, ce millésime sont déjà programmés pour aborder 2025 avec plus de sérénité. »

“Over time, we have evolved our viticultural practices, introducing methods that are more environmentally friendly. These include reducing inputs and progressively adopting the principles of organic and biodynamic viticulture. To date, we do not claim those certifications, as our approach is more pragmatic than philosophical and not bound by the standards required by certifying bodies. Secondly, we’ve planted numerous hedges and trees to promote biodiversity within the vineyard. We are implementing soil rest periods with intermediate crops to reinvigorate the soil and ensure the longevity of future plantings. We’re adjusting soil management practices and introducing cover crops to enhance natural soil balance, loosen compacted soil, and mitigate summer temperature increases. We’ve achieved HVE4 (High Environmental Value Level 4) and ISO14001 certifications. We are using our own massal selections for planting Cabernet Franc and multiple massal selections for Merlot to promote qualitative diversity and maintain the genetic richness of our vines. A study on massal selection for our old Cabernet Sauvignon vines is currently underway. Finally, we’re employing increasingly sophisticated agricultural machinery to ensure precise interventions in the vineyard.

All our convictions towards agriculture that is more respectful of our environment have allowed us to observe a positive evolution of our soils and better health of our estate. This allows us to see the future with more confidence and serenity. We have thus seen our wine evolve towards a style that is more identity-based and representative of its terroir.

Reflecting on the 2024 vintage, the unique climatic conditions, with exceptional pest pressure, did not allow us to protect our entire harvest with 100% organic practices as we usually manage to do. However, this vintage provided valuable lessons about the challenges of spray quality. We have already planned new investments to approach the 2025 vintage with greater confidence and efficiency.”

Jean-Claude Berrouet discussing the vintages in the vertical with Mathieu Cuvelier at the château.

NM: Can you give specifics about the approach to harvest, i.e., how many pickers and where are they from? How do you sort the fruit at reception?

MC: « Depuis toujours, Clos Fourtet a refusé de faire des vins pour satisfaire telle ou telle mode. Sur ces grands terroirs calcaires, nous voulons des vins précis, denses, équilibrés, longs et de grande garde. Pour cela, avec l’aide de Jean-Claude Berrouet et de Stéphane Derenoncourt, nous essayons de respecter certaines règles: De nombreux passages dans nos vignes à gouter les raisins vont nous permettre de déterminer la parfaite maturité et notamment rechercher une maturité phénolique qui facilitera ensuite l’extractibilité dans les cuves. Aussi, on vendanges à la main, avec des petites équipes (25 personnes), pour ne jamais précipiter la récolte. Nous utilisons aujourd’hui une main d’œuvre recrutée par des prestataires de service. On tris la vendange à l’aide d’une table vibrante, un égreneur, une deuxième table vibrante, une table ‘mistral’ et un tri manuel sur tapis et on fait remplissage des cuves avec des raisins non-foulés et par gravité. »

“From the very beginning, Clos Fourtet has resisted making wines to cater to trends or passing fashions. On these limestone terroirs, we aim to craft wines that are precise, dense, balanced, long-lived and capable of aging. To achieve this, with the guidance of Jean-Claude Berrouet and Stéphane Derenoncourt [both present at the vertical tasting], we follow a set of principles designed to respect our terroir. Tasting grapes directly in the vineyard through numerous visits allows us to determine the perfect ripeness, particularly focusing on achieving phenolic maturity, which later facilitates optimal extraction in the tanks. Harvesting by hand, using small teams of about 25 people, ensures we never rush the process. We now rely on a workforce provided by professional service providers. We carefully sort the harvest using a vibrating sorting table, a destemmer, a second vibrating table, a "mistral" sorting table, and manual sorting on a conveyor belt. We fill tanks by gravity with whole, uncrushed grapes.”

NM: Can you give specifics about the vat room—types of vessel, fermentation temperatures, maceration, vin de presse, etc. ?

MC: « Notre cuvier contient 25 cuves inox double-paroi de petites capacités (10 à 70 Hl)

Fermentation naturelle sans pré-fermentaire pour ne pas abimer la pureté du fruit fraichement cueillie et ne pas fatiguer les mouts en les refroidissant puis en les réchauffant ! Nous travaillons des marcs par pigeages manuels pour libérer lentement la couleur, les arômes et les meilleurs tanins et éviter toute sur-extraction, le température de fermentation modérée (entre 24 et 28°C). Le cuvaison de 3 à 4 semaines est en fonction de la dégustation et des origines. On utilise d’un petit pressoir verticale avec séparations des qualités de presses. Ces vins sont peu utilisés dans l’assemblage définitif de Clos Fourtet. Fermentation malolactique est principalement en cuves. »

“Our winery houses 25 small-capacity double-walled stainless steel tanks (ranging from 10 to 70 hectoliters). We use natural fermentation without pre-fermentation to preserve the purity of the freshly harvested fruit, and we avoid tiring the must by first cooling and then reheating it. The cap is worked manually by pigeage [punching down] to slowly release color, aroma, and the finest tannins, while avoiding over-extraction. We maintain moderate fermentation temperatures between 24°C and 28°C. The maceration period lasts three to four weeks, depending on tasting evaluations and the origin of the grapes. We use a small vertical press, with careful separation of press fractions that are rarely included in the final blend of Clos Fourtet. Malolactic fermentation is carried out primarily in tanks.”

NM: Can you give details about the élevage?

MC: « Élevage sous bois (40 à 60% de bois neufs et le reste en barriques d’un vin) dans nos carrières calcaires. Les conditions y sont très particulières (pas de variation de température (13°C), d’hygrométrie (85-90%) et de pression atmosphérique) et permettent à notre vin d’évoluer sans à coup, sans interférences, dans le calme et la sérénité. La durée d’élevage peut varier de 14 à 18 mois en fonction des millésimes. »

“We age in oak barrels (40 to 60% new oak and the rest in one-wine barrels) in our subterranean limestone quarries. The conditions here are very specific: no variations in temperature (13°C), humidity (85-90%), or atmospheric pressure. This environment allows our wine to evolve steadily, without disruptions, in peace and serenity. The aging period can vary from 14 to 18 months, depending on the vintage.”

Just a small part of Clos Fourtet’s extensive underground caves. The limestone was used to construct the château above. People have been known to get lost.

NM: Tell me more about the underground cellars. How large are they? I read that they can hold 100,000 bottles in perfect natural conditions. Are they interconnected with another château? Have you ever gotten lost down there?

MC: « Les carrières calcaires s’étendent sur environ 13 hectares répartis sur 3 niveaux et sont parmi les plus vastes de l’appellation. Nous n’utilisons à ce jour qu’un peu moins de 1 hectare pour l’élevage de nos vins en barriques et le stockage de nos bouteilles.

A l’époque, de nombreux châteaux communiqués mais des murs ou des grilles ont été installé empêchant aujourd’hui les interconnections. Ces carrières ont été utilisées pour l’extraction de la pierre dès le XIIe siècle puis pour des champignonnières à la fin du XIXème siècle. Et oui je me suis déjà perdu dans les parties reculées, c’est un véritable labyrinthe, il ne faut pas s’y aventurer seul ni sans plusieurs lampe de poche. »

“The limestone quarries cover approximately 13 hectares spread across three levels [6 to 12 m deep] and are among the largest of the appellation. Currently, we use just under one hectare for aging our wines in barrels and storing our bottles. In the past, many châteaux were interconnected, but walls or gates were later installed, preventing access between them today. These quarries were used for stone extraction as early as the 12th century and later served as mushroom farms at the end of the 19th century. Caution is essential when exploring the quarries, as it’s remarkably easy to get lost! And yes, I have already gotten lost in the remote parts; it is a real labyrinth, you should not venture there alone or without several flashlights.”

NM: What are your interests outside of wine?

MC: « Passionné de sport, (course à pied, golf, padel tennis) je puise mon énergie dans l'effort et la discipline qu'il impose. Les voyages m'apportent également une source d'inspiration, chaque destination est une occasion d'enrichir ma perspective et de me reconnecter à l'essentiel. »

“I’m a sports enthusiast (running, golf, paddle tennis). I draw energy from the effort and discipline it requires. Traveling also serves as a source of inspiration for me—each destination is an opportunity to broaden my perspective and reconnect with what truly matters.”

NM: I remember having dinner with you in Catusseau several years ago. It was the night before you were going to the doctor, and it turned out to be the symptom of a very serious illness. From an outsider's perspective, you are exactly the same. But I wondered if it changed your outlook on life?

MC: « Effectivement comme tu as pu le vivre, c’est une période compliquée mais en effet si je dois en tirer des points positifs je dirai que cela m'a apporté une force intérieure, une meilleure compréhension de mes priorités, une profonde gratitude pour la vie et l'envie sincère de passer plus de temps avec les gens que j'aime. »

“As you have experienced yourself, this has been a challenging period. However, if I were to highlight the positives, I would say it has brought me inner strength, a clearer understanding of my priorities, deep gratitude for life, and a genuine desire to spend more time with the people I love.”

The Wines

This vertical tasting took place at the château and extended back to 2001, when the Cuveliers took over the property. The only missing vintage was the 2007 because the château has no stock and, apparently, there is a high incidence of Brettanomyces. Wines were not poured chronologically but grouped according to type of season, commencing with the cooler, more challenging vintages and finishing with reputed ones. These notes are augmented by a couple of older vintages (1924, 1953 and 1990) cleaved from a vertical in London several years earlier. The 1989 and 1998 Clos Fourtet were also poured at this tasting. I preferred the latter, since the opulence exuded by many 1998 Right Banks was neatly offset by Clos Fourtet’s quicksilver acidity. It must be said that the Cuveliers hit the ground running with a scintillating 2001 that is drinking beautifully after more than two decades, fanning out with chutzpah on the finish. Perhaps the 2002 brought them down to earth when Mother Nature refused to play ball, displaying a rather dry finish.

Stylistically, Clos Fourtet has been fashioned in a more upfront and concentrated style compared to nearby Canon, for example. I do not write that pejoratively—that is part of the Clos Fourtet DNA. The veneer of oak is usually more pronounced in its youth, leading to a more luxurious veneer that some might describe as “modern” in style. As such, vintages from the noughties, like the 2005, have taken years to shed their oak. Patient wine-lovers are rewarded with wines of substance and panache. The 2003 Clos Fourtet was a pleasant surprise. It’s not a vintage I’m particularly warm to, no pun intended, though this example shows more freshness than others, despite a slightly truncated finish. Vintages like the 2005 will continue to age with style. Among the wines from the early years under the Cuvelier family, I also enjoyed the 2008 Clos Fourtet. Both the 2009 Clos Fourtet, gleaned from a recent note taken from the aforementioned Miami seminar, and the 2010 show their mettle.

During the following decade, winemakers had to accept that in vintages as lamentable as 2013, even advantageous terroir cannot compensate for an inclement growing season. It’s much better to look for hidden gems like the vintages on either side, both worth seeking out, given modest market prices. The zenith of the tasting came with the back-to-back successes of 2015 and 2016 Clos Fourtet, wherein the château mined a little more classicism compared to the previous decade. Arguably, Clos Fourtet’s greatest wines have come in the last five years, in particular the brilliant 2022 that set a new benchmark.

Final Thoughts

Clos Fourtet has been a constant fixture in my career, a Saint-Émilion wine that frequently crops up at dinners and tastings. Though a Bordeaux estate is always a team effort, the impetus has come from Mathieu Cuvelier over the last quarter-century. Perhaps, in an appellation where châteaux almost seem to jostle for attention, I feel that Clos Fourtet is just a little overlooked in some quarters and deserves more kudos.

At least drinking Clos Fourtet is less dangerous than potholing. Then again, what better way to understand terroir than being soaked to the skin, clambering through limestone bedrock, headlamp revealing its H.R. Giger-like subterranean formations. If only there had been a delicious bottle of Clos Fourtet when we made it back to the surface.

© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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