Fourcas Hosten 2019, Listrac Haut Medoc
Château Fourcas-Hosten, with its history dating back to the 14th century, is one of the most prestigious Crus Classés in the Haut-Médoc. The Fourcas-Hosten 2019 is an elegant and complex red wine that reflects the tradition and unique terroir of the estate.
Vinification process: The Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc grapes are carefully hand-harvested and vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Fermentation is followed by maceration for around 20 days. The wine matures for 18 months in French oak barrels, 43 per cent new and 28 per cent second use and 29 per cent third use.
Producer's tasting notes: The Fourcas-Hosten 2019 has a deep, rich, concentrated colour with aromas of blackberry jam and redcurrant. Full-bodied structure with soft, coated tannins. Intense finish, with balance and freshness
Winemaker: Eric Boissenot, one of Bordeaux's most renowned winemakers, is the Chief Consultant responsible for the production of Fourcas-Hosten 2019.
Varieties:
Cabernet Sauvignon (50%)
Merlot (48%)
Petit Verdot (1%)
Cabernet Franc (1%)
Keywords: Fourcas-Hosten, Listrac, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux
Sleek well-presented blueberry and blackberry fruits with a clear sense of lift and juice that runs through the palate. This is a successful Listrac where the tannins gather slowly together on the finish closing things down but with clear potential for future ageing.
The 2019 Fourcas Hosten unwinds in the glass with notes of sweet black fruits, cherries, loamy soil and nicely integrated new oak. While some of the estate's young vines suffered from hydric stress in this dry vintage, this has a lively core of fruit and ripe tannins that assert themselves on the finish. Medium to full-bodied, supple and layered, it's a very promising wine that illustrates the estate's upward trajectory.
Black almost to the rim. Savoury and dark on the nose. Rocky and dark. Strict but fine-grained tannins, more chalky than thick. This has great fruit at the core and needs time for the tannins to allow the fruit to be more central. Big, dark, demanding for now. (JH)
Very pretty plum, light spice and dried-flower character on the nose, following through to a medium body with creamy and refined tannins. Bright acidity at the end. This only needs a few years to come together and deliver a beautiful glass. Try after 2023.
The 2019 Fourcas Hosten offers plenty of juicy ripe red berry fruit on the nose, which is more forward than 2019 Clarke. Red plum and mulberry develop with aeration, along with a touch of black currant pastilles and even a light confit scent. The palate is medium-bodied with a grippy entry, a slightly granular texture and a fine bead of acidity, though at the moment it feels a little hemmed in on the finish. I suspect that this may close down in bottle, but it has the substance to age well. Also, at 13.3% on the label, this is one of the lower-alcohol left bank wines.
