2015 Clos Fourtet (St-Emilion)

The 2015 Clos Fourtet is a blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, and it was picked between 18 September and 12 October. It has a voluminous bouquet with sweet cassis and blueberry aromas, rather smudged with violets coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannin, ripe and voluptuous, dark chocolate infusing the red and black fruit with a touch of mint on the structured, graceful finish. What a fabulous Saint Emilion from Mathieu Cuvelier and his team - Clos Fourtet with breeding and class. It deserves 5-8 years in bottle. 95-97 points

Reticent nose but fragrant palate. Supple texture with plentiful but fine tannins. Length and freshness on the finish – the stamp of the limestone terroir evident. Persistent. 93 points

A Stéphane Derenoncourt wine. Lively and fresh on the nose. Great balance and fruit. Dry on the end but very classic. 17 points

The Cabernet Sauvignon is always a key feature of t his wine, and it’s the case again here in 2015, providing structure and backbone. This is a little closed, but has the intensity, limestone-derived freshness and sheer class to age well in bottle. Drink: 2022-30. 94 points

The 2015 Clos Fourtet is unusually rich and sumptuous in this vintage. Exotic aromatics, a huge core of fruit and ample, soft contours give the 2015 much of its striking personality. Although quite racy and unctuous today, the 2015 is going to need a number of years to shed its baby fat before it is even close to showing all it has to offer. This is a compelling effort 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 two times. 93-96 points