| Clos Fourtet 2002 • August 2003 | CLOS FOURTET
1st Great Classified Growth "B"
2002 Vintage
The vines :
After an early bud-break on the 18th March, the flowering began on the 24th May and ended on the 15th June. The mid-way point in grape colour change was the 13th August for the Merlot and the 18th for the Cabernets, but at the end of August there were still some green berries on the vines. We got rid of these bunches as we did the de-leafing on the south-facing side, which enabled us to establish uniformity in the levels of ripeness. The picking began on the 2nd October and finished on the 15th.
The weather conditions :
Our soil has lacked water for many years, but the rainfall we had up to the month of July enabled the plant to receive regular nourishment.
August, on the other hand, was very wet (92 mm) and caused us great concern. Luckily, from the 9th September, fine weather set in without any rain and allowed us to wait for the grapes to ripen fully and to harvest healthy grapes of very good quality.
The vinification :
Our cellar has been completely renovated and is now equipped with vibrating sorting tables on which a double sorting is performed, one before de-stemming and one after. We have chosen to use small containers to carry the grapes to the vats, so as to avoid any squashing of the berries. We also have small-sized double-walled stainless steel vats of 50 and 70 hectolitre capacity, which allow us to vinify plot by plot to treat the grapes with the greatest possible care. The wide opening at the top of this type of vat enables us to punch down the cap manually and to obtain a gentle, efficient extraction.
At the end of the maceration of the skins, and as soon as the wine is run off, the wines are racked into barrels for the malo-lactic fermentation, where they stay for their ageing process.
Average yield :
40 hectolitres per hectare
Blending :
- 85 % Merlot
- 10 % Cabernet Sauvignon
- 5 % Cabernet Franc
Ageing :
80 % in new oak barrels
20 % in second fill barrels
Anticipated length of ageing for the 2002 vintage : 18 months
Tasting :
The colour is dark with violet glints. The range of aromas displays a mixture of cherries and wild blackberries with a touch of violets and some mineral notes.
Good structure on the palate, powerful with volume and chalky character. Liquorice in the finish.
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