Chateau Clos Fourtet 2015

ANTONIO GALLONI: "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."

DECANTER: "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. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040"

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, attraktive Herzkirschenfrucht, reife Pflaumen, florale Nuancen, attraktives Bukett, Orangenzesten unterlegt. Stoffig, komplex, dunkle Beerenfrucht, feiner Nougat, reife Tannine, angenehme Frische unterlegt, große Länge, sicheres Zukunftspotenzial. Wunderbar balancierter Wein."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Blueberry, stone, mineral and dried-flower aromas follow through to a full body. Silky and polished tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Shows finesse, and polished with such sensitivity. Superb finish. Drink in 2022 but already a joy to taste."

JEB DUNNUCK: "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."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Deep in color, the wine is all about the levelsof depth in the dark, cherry and plummy fruits. There is a lot of sweetness along with the balancing of acidity that gives everything life. The wine is full bodied, concentrated, supple, and sensuous. There is a purity in the fruits and a silkyness in the texture with a finish that sticks with you for close to 50 seconds."

THE WINEADVOCATE: "Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Clos Fourtet has lifted menthol notes on the nose over a core of chocolate-covered cherries, dried mulberries, baked plums and potpourri plus a touch of cloves. Medium-bodied and very firm with lovely ripe, fine-grained tannins and plenty of freshness, it finishes long and perfumed."

WEINWISSER: "Sattes Purpur- Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Das Nasenbild ist eine Delikatesse, reife Kirschen, gar ein Hauch von Grenadine steigt auf. Bereits das Bouquet vermittelt Klasse. Im Gaumen sublim, samtene Textur, in der Mitte aber dann schon etwas seine Kraft zeigend mit pfeffrigen, aber auch ganz dezent kernigen Noten, tolle Länge. Trotz der angezeigten Harmonie sind die Komponenten noch nicht ganz beieinander. Aber das kommt sicher noch mit dem Ausbau."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Situated against the walls of Saint-Émilion, this estate is producing impressive wines like this vintage with its balance of acidity and opulent, ripe black fruits. Freshness and richness combine in this wine that has a powerful structure that will let it age for many years. Drink from 2025."

WINESPECTATOR: “Thoroughly ripe but seemingly light-footed, as a remarkably silky structure lets waves of plum sauce, blueberry reduction and raspberry puree glide through effortlessly. Light licorice, violet and ganache hints add to the finish, showing very fine chalky minerality in the background. Drink now through 2035."