Wine Words & Video Tape

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Clos Fourtet

143

Address: 1 Chatelet Sud, 33330 St Emilion

Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 24 70 90

E-mail: closfourtet@closfourtet.fr

Website: www.closfourtet.com

The vineyards of Clos Fourtet are established on the appellation’s limestone plateau. Excellent wines here.

Vineyard/Terroir: 20 hectares on clay-limestone planted with 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Chateau is classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classe.

Winemaking/Elevage: 75% new oak each year.

Tasting notes:

  • 2015 Mid depth; purple edge; ripe plums; impressive purity; opens up in the glass; seductive; velvet palate; nicely extracted. Lots of fruit evident but very satin in the middle. Very fine and excellent length. A beauty. [88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 14% alc]. Drink 2020-2035. 94-96+
  • 2014 Mid depth; fresh aromas; black fruits; plums; clean and pure; nice fruit on the palate; plums and black fruits; grip and structure and has all the elements; little closed but not disjointed. Length on the finish. [85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc]. Drink 2022-2035. 5. Tasted UGC 1st April ’15. 90-92+ [second note] Deep and glossy looking; fresh fruit; real purity; creamy blackcurrant tones; ripe plums; glossy and sweet fruit on the palate; attractive; blackcurrants; spices; acidity; freshness; very bright; nice fruit and balance; harmonious and good length. [89% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted 1st April, 2015 Clos Fourtet. Drink 2022-2035. 92-94
  • 2013 Deep and sense; vibrant edge; purity here, plums and black fruits; meaty note; good palate, very nice texture in the middle; nice elegance too. Nice length. Comparisons here with 2008. [87% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 13.1% alc, 3.48pH 18hl/ha]. Tasted at Clos Fourtet April 2, 2014. Drink 2018-2030. 90-92 [Later] Deep and saturated look; ripe and attractive aromatics; purity of fruit; unmasked and pure; very cool and attractive; some menthol and pretty intense for the vintage; palate has vibrancy and the fruit again feels pure; filled out in the middle with plenty of extract. Very good effort for the vintage and cleverly judged. Tasted April 2, 2014 UGC 90-92
  • 2012 Mid depth; creamy purity to the aromatics; spicy menthol and fresh plum tones – fresh and clean as whistle; polished and creamy palate of considerable beauty; purity here. Attractive palate. Very enjoyable already but will take some age. Beautiful. Drink now-2025. 93 UGC oct ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and dense; lush and ripe nose; very pretty; really very pure and enticing; oak on the palate but largely soaked up by the lovely plump Merlot in evidence; very linear through aroma to palate; feels very good potentially. Little chewy on the finish. 92-94+ [second tasting] Deep and dense; lots of plums, jam and black fruits; palate has soaked up the oak; lashings of fruit, material and density. Here the vintage comparison is with 1998. 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc. 92-94+ UGC Wednesday April 10, 2013
  • 2011 Deep and full looking; creamy and attractive nose; purity here; deep; blackcurrant, plums and spice; ripe and full entry on the palate with cool fruit nicely handled. Very good effort indeed – very full but goes with the grain of the vintage. 93+ UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated colour; very attractive pure red fruits, strawberry; quite lush; feels deep; lovely seam of red fruit; minerals; palate quite restrained, some dryness and fades away a tad. UGC 4/4/12 89-91+. [Second] Deep and dense; cassis, plums, black cherry notes and bitter black chocolate; later lots of black cherry; spicy, black cheery and plum; again lots of plum and black cherry fruit on the palate; freshness here; oak and oak tannin but not out of balance. This is very good. Tannic finish. Tasted blind at Groupement de Premiers Grands Crus Classes de Saint-Emilion at Chateau Canon 6/4/12. 91-93
  • 2010 Very deep and saturated; jam and red fruits; pretty saturated aromatics; some marzipan notes; pretty lush; full palate; ripe; attractive mouth-feel; good supporting structure; plenty of flesh here. Tannin considerable but supple. Very good indeed. 95 MW Institute Nov ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated look; deep nose; some wet rock; saturated aroma and lift; certainly intense; ripe fruit on the palate; lots of chew and extract; dense and pretty chewy; lots of oomph here; grip and pure fruit. Pretty bold style. 92+ [Earlier] Deep and saturated; ripe and fresh fruit; clean and concentrated; minerals and chalk; deep; sweet attack, nice density, concentration and bid; thick on palate but grip too. Concentrated but balanced [large proportions!]. Will be excellent. 92-94/100 [87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc 14.5% alc] 6 April 2011 UGC [Second tasting] Thick in the glass, dense and saturated; stones and minerals, more chalk and minerals than the rest; freshness and violets; open and supple palate; less density than the last but still with lots of extract and guts; quite tannic clout at the end, but grip and brightness too. 92-94. Tasted April 6 2011 Groupement de Premiers Grands Crus Classes de Saint-Emilion
  • 2009 Vibrant mid red; ripe nose, some meaty notes too; supple palate but with density too if that makes sense; fruit in this vintage can be quite sublime; pretty saturated palate in fact. No trace of jam here. Excellent effort again. 93-94+/100 UGC Oct ’11 [Earlier]  Dense, more black red; nice attractive nose, strawberry fruit; quite pretty; nice oak already integrating; intensity and concentration here; palate full and sweet with chew; tannins and acid but there is a ripeness here and lots of alcohol. [Later] strawberry nose; good fruit qualities; fine fruity and attractive; chewy. Alcohol. 90+/100 Primeurs April ’10.
  • 2008 Deep red; some stalky notes on the nose but also ripeness, later with aeration some fig and molasses alongside oak; good palate, with extract, lift and tannin. Length. This is very good. 90/100 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc UGC Oct ‘10
  • 2007 Mid red; nice attractive nose with some tobacco, leaf and creamy notes; also mocha and espresso; good. Palate has good structured wine. Good sturdy palate. Very good. 90/100 UGC tasting Oct ‘09
  • 2006 Mid depth; red at edge; mature aromatics; some spices; tobacco; spices; ripe fruit tones; black fruits and sweet plums; palate has power and fruit but nicely mature; glossy; perfectly mature but with depth remaining. Drink n0w-2020. Tasted Apr ’15. 92+ [earlier note] Deep central core, dense and tight to the rim; attractive nose, feels a bit of a relief; seductive infact with red fruits, minerals and nice oak; layers – feels good; palate quite dense with strawberry notes plus tannin but much more give here on the palate; lots of dense, chewy fruit alongside the tannin. Very good effort. 90-92+/100 MW Institute Nov ‘10

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