Clos Fourtet 2015 (1.5L)

98 JD / 97 VM / 97 DE / 96 JS / 96 WS / 95 WA

#7 Jeb Dunnuck Top 50 Reds of 2018

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. – Jeb Dunnuck

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. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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. - Jane Anson, Decanter

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. – James Suckling

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. 4,417 cases made. – James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

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. – Lisa Perotti-Brown, Wine Advocate