Clos Fourtet is a Premier Grand Cru Classe estate in Saint Emilion, located adjacent to the medieval section of the town.The 20-hectare (50-acre) vineyard is planted mostly to Merlot, with 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 percent Cabernet Franc on clay soils over limestone. The extensive cellars are underground, cut into the limestone bedrock, giving ideal conditions for maturation. Typically, the grand vin will see 18 months in French barriques with 60 percent new wood, and is bottled unfiltered. The second wine, La Closerie de Fourtet, is also predominantly Merlot and represents about a third of the house's production.