2015 Clos Fourtet, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bottle (750ml)

JD98 "An absolute blockbuster is the 2015 Clos Fourtet, which is a blend of 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. It offers a huge nose of black and blue fruits, loads of incense, violets, chocolate, and underbrush aromas, full body, a seductive, ethereal texture, lots of fine tannins, and a finish that just won’t quit. This is as classy, seamless, and elegant as it gets. Give bottle 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two decades. This estate has been renovated by new owner Monsieur Cuvelier, manager Tony Ballu (owner of Pierre de Lune), and consultant Stéphane Derenocourt. The vineyard covers 20 hectares of prime real estate on the western plateau of Saint-Emilion and consists of a thin layer of clay over limestone subsoils. The wine is always a Merlot dominated cuvee (there’s normally 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc) that sees a normal 30-day maceration, a portion of the blend seeing malo in barrel, and the wine spending 18 months in 60% new barrels. The 2014 is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage, as is the more blockbuster styled 2015. Don’t miss these wines!" JD Nov 2017

AG97 "Clos Fourtet is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty in 2015. Powerful, vivid and wonderfully nuanced, it exudes class. Inky red/purplish stone fruit, lavender, spice, mint and orange peel give the 2015 its myriad shades of nuance, but it is the wine's balance and total sense of harmony that elevate it to the realm of the profound. In 2015, Clos Fourtet has a bit more body and resonance than is typically the case. Beneath all of the fruit, however, the 2015 has more than enough energy and structural underpinning to drink well for many years. This is a stunning wine from the Cuvelier family and consulting winemakers Stéphane Derenoncourt and Julien Lavenu. The blend is 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Tasted three times." AG for VM Feb 2018

JA97 "This is intense and withholding right now, not budging an inch. It's dark and inky in colour, and on the nose and attack it simply hints at what is to come. But with time in the glass, the layers of cassis fruits and dark spices are dealt out one by one, firm and confident. Clearly one that will bring enjoyment in time." JA for DR Dec 2017