Chateau Clos Fourtet 2005

Jeb Dunnuck: "Made from 85% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 Clos Fourtet is a powerhouse that does everything right and is borderline perfection in a glass. Awesome notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, graphite, tobacco, and scorched earth all flow to a full-bodied, thrilling concentrated, textured beauty that has sweet, sweet tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a finish that won’t quit. I think it’s drinking perfectly today, but it has two more decades of prime drinking ahead of it. Don’t’ miss this stunning bottle of wine!"

The Wine Advocate: "Dense ruby/purple, with notes of crushed rock, blueberry and blackberry fruit intermixed with some licorice and chocolate, this full-bodied, massive wine from proprietor Philippe Cuvelier coincides with the resurrection of this premier grand cru classé in St.-Emilion. As the wine sits in the glass, notes of espresso roast and chocolate emerge. This full-bodied classic should continue to drink well for another 25 years. This is a killer effort."

The Wine Cellar Insider: "Just a gorgeous wine. Layer after layer of licorice coated, black cherry, plum and truffle are all over the place, in the nose and on the palate. Silky, polished and lusciously textured, if you like young wines that are considering entering their drinking window before they reach the secondary stage, you can pop a cork. Else, wait about 5 years. Either way, this is a beauty."

Falstaff: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, fast schwarzer Kern, violette Reflexe, in der Nase Brombeerkonfit, Röstaromen, zarter Schokoschmelz, feine ätherische Nuancen. Am Gaumen stoffig und frisch, herrlicher süßer Fruchtschmelz, Kakao, eine seidige Textur wie Trinkschokolade, bereits perfekt in der Harmonie, bleibt sehr gut haften, schon jetzt ungemein verführerisch, tolles Entwicklungspotenzial."

Weinwisser: "Sattes, dunkles Purpur mit blutroten Reflexen. Direktes, feingliedriges und enorm konzentriertes Bouquet, Kirschentouch, Veilchen, viel Frische trotz des Reichtums. Im Gaumen satt, konzentriert, feiner Stoff, ausgeglichene Adstringenz, jetzt noch mehr ins Blaubeerige drehend, im Nachklang massive, aber doch reife Tannine zeigend, die es noch mit dem Ausbau und der Flaschenreife zu verdauen gilt, falls damit die «Stammhärte» verloren geht, liegt noch ein Punkt mehr drin."

Wine Enthusiast: "A perfumed, sweet wine, immediately attractive. Behind this friendly exterior is a dark core of firm tannins, along with spice, blackberries, and new wood—not too much, just right. This chateau is firmly back on form."

Wine Spectator: "Features a lovely smoldering feel, with the currant and fig paste notes now melded seamlessly with apple wood and graphite details. Long and rich, this is starting to hint at a secondary phase, showing flashes of mulled spice, tobacco and tar. The structure has brightness and energy, but moves slowly to the background. Approachable now.—Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2035. 3,833 cases made."