Clos Fourtet 2015

Seductive fruit expression, wonderfully crisp, ripe tannins, noticeable but not distracting warmth; excellent craftsmanship.

Thoroughly ripe yet seemingly light-footed, as a remarkably silky structure lets waves of plum sauce, blueberry reduction and raspberry purée 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. 4,417 cases made.

Almost situated within the town of St-Emilion itself – on the Pomerol-facing side, and on well-drained limestone soils – Clos Fourtet, under the watchful eye of Matthieu Cuvelier, has been a star performer in all of the headline vintages since 2003. The 2015 is a blend of 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, from vines with an average age of about 35 years, and was aged in 60% new French oak barrels. Gareth Birchley: Red fruit. Good concentration, a silky texture and lovely balance. A slightly bitter finish but otherwise very good. Vincenzo Arnese: Fresh fruit and menthol. Rich, with good structure, body, texture and balance, and a long finish. Arthur Coggill: Ripe, sweet black cherry and damson with minerally slate hints. Intense and concentrated. Supple, light, soft, understated palate, but full of flavour. Tannins are firm and chewy, but integrated and balanced. Warm, sandy finish.

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

Mid to deep crimson. Oaky first impression, but with a nice lifted freshness of fruit as it opens in the glass. Dry, tight and finely textured, really rather elegant and more austere than many in this vintage but all in harmony. (JH)

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.

Deep in color, the wine is all about layers of depth in dark, cherry and plummy fruits. There is a lot of sweetness along with balancing acidity that gives everything life. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated, supple, and sensuous. There is a purity to the fruit and a silky texture, with a finish that stays with you for close to 50 seconds.

Dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, aromas of delicate nougat and ripe plum, underlaid with blackberry fruit, a hint of tangerine zest and fine herbal spice. The freshly structured palate is lean with red cherry notes and fine fruit expression on the minerally finish. Already well developed and drinkable, recommend decanting for two hours, the wine also has the potential for further ageing.

Bright dark purple hue. Pure and floral nose with hints of wet earth, limestone, wild berries, cassis, blackberry and tobacco. Very fine proportions with a dense structure, ample and full with fresh and grainy tannin, a bright acidity, layers of wild berry fruit, modest oak and a delicate spiciness with ginger, clove and some stony notes. The finish is very long and dense, and fresh with floral dark fruit. Already settled, nuanced and harmonious even if it will gain more complexity and layers from further ageing.

An absolute blockbuster, the 2015 Clos Fourtet 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 the bottle 4–5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two decades.

Deep purplish garnet, dense at the core, with lilac highlights on the rim. The nose is a delicacy: ripe cherries, even a hint of grenadine rising. The bouquet already conveys class. On the palate, sublime, with a velvety texture; mid-palate it already shows some power with peppery notes and a very subtle bite, great length. Despite the apparent harmony, the components are not yet fully integrated. But that will surely come with maturation. Rounded, potential rating:

Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with lilac highlights on the rim. The nose is a delicacy, ripe cherries, even hinting at grenadine. The bouquet already conveys class. On the palate, sublime, with a velvety texture; mid-palate the power starts to show, with peppery notes and also very subtly firm tones, great length. Despite the apparent harmony, the components are not yet fully integrated. But that will surely come with maturation. Rounded, potential rating:

Dense, elegant, subtly off-dry bouquet, damson plums, cedar, blackcurrant, After Eight. Velvety, tightly knit palate with sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, powerful and multifaceted aromatics, finely muscular structure, very long, refined finish with lots of lingering aromas. 18/20 2024 - 2040

This feels exuberantly young, with ripe, fleshy damson and blackberry fruits, balanced by a measured slow-build of acidity, giving precision and restraint. A touch of smoked caramel, even a flash of crème de cassis heat, set against oyster shell and saffron, and the complex interplay of flavour and texture that makes Clos Fourtet such an exceptional wine. 60% new oak, Stéphane Derenoncourt and Jean-Claude Berrouet consultants.

Clos Fourtet 2015 is a blend of 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc and has a deep garnet color. It is a little closed and broody at first, opening out to offer glimpses of cigar box, dried lavender, and dusty soil notes over a core of preserved plums, baked blackberries, and fruitcake, plus touches of cardamom, clove oil, and sandalwood. Full-bodied, the palate is just starting to evolve into tertiary notes, framed by powdery tannins and bold freshness, finishing long with an herbal lift.

The colour is very deep with a superb, high-class nose. The wine is supple, with a beautifully refined mid-palate, very fine tannins, and great length—classy, with real personality. A fine success for the château.

Clos Fourtet 2015 reveals itself in a subtle, elegant way. It doesn’t seek showiness, yet it unveils notes of blackcurrant and graphite. With a refined, almost slender character, the wine is silky, harmonious, and carried by perfectly integrated tannins that provide a solid backbone, while the finish clearly emerges with a saline—and mouthwatering—touch… in 2015!!! Bravo

Dark, intense color. A slightly discreet nose with ripe fruit. Caressing on the attack, juicy as it develops, very fruity mid-palate, the wine caresses the palate. It evolves with silky texture, showing plenty of flavor on the finish and good length. I expected more.

One year after bottling, the wine confirms its greatness and the heightened finesse achieved by Saint-Emilion’s historic plateau in this generous vintage. The wine’s fruit-driven breadth becomes more defined on the palate, with wonderfully elegant contours; the aromas are floral and chalky, with great distinction.

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.