Clos Fourtet, Premier Grand Cru Classé winery in Saint-Émilion, France
Clos Fourtet is a Premier Grand Cru Classé winery built on an estate with underground structures and cellars that date back centuries. The property spans around 20 hectares of limestone-based soil where Merlot is the primary grape variety, supplemented by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend.
The estate originated as a medieval fortification before being converted into a winery in the 1700s. The official recognition as Premier Grand Cru Classé came in the 1990s, marking the property's rise in quality and reputation.
The estate blends time-honored winemaking practices with contemporary methods, visible in how the vines are planted closely together and tended year-round. This combination of old and new shapes the working landscape and reflects how the property has evolved over time.
Visitors can join guided tours that take them through the vineyards and into the underground cellar complex to see where grapes grow and wine is made. Wearing comfortable shoes is practical since tours involve walking on vineyard slopes and descending into stone-built cellars.
The current owner introduced biodynamic farming practices aimed at increasing vine density and enhancing grape quality in the older vineyard blocks. This shift toward more sustainable methods has visibly altered how the older sections of the vineyard are managed and appear.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
