Clos Fourtet 2009

St Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé B

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Tasting Notes
After tasting it three times from bottle, I am convinced this prodigious wine is one of the greatest young Bordeaux I have ever tasted. Inky blue/purple with notes of camphor, forest floor, blackberry, cassis, sweet cherries, licorice, the wine has stunning aromatics, unctuous texture and an almost inky concentration, but without any hard edges. With considerable tannin and just enough acidity to provide definition, this wine transcends even its premier grand cru classe terroir. It is certainly the finest Clos Fourtet ever produced. Give it 5-7 years of cellaring to allow some of its baby fat to fall away. There is certainly enough structure underneath to keep for 30-50 years. Bravo! From my barrel score of 95-98, I suppose I should have seen this perfect score coming, particularly considering what proprietor Philippe Cuvelier and estate manager Tony Ballu have accomplished over the last decade. This is one of the great terroirs of St.-Emilion, nearly 50 acres high on the clay beds and deep limestone plateau of the region, just a stone’s throw from the luxury hotel and restaurant Hostellerie de Plaisance. Yields were moderate at 34 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend is 88% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon (somewhat unusual) and the rest Cabernet Franc, aged 18 months in 80% new oak. Score: 100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2017-2067 01 March 2012
This is a perennial superstar thanks to the efforts of proprietor Philippe Cuvelier and the estate’s manager, Tony Ballu. This beautifully-situated, nearly 48-acre vineyard, high on the clay and deep limestone plateau just adjacent to the town walls of St.-Emilion, was harvested between September 28 and October 13, with yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare. The natural alcohol turned out to be 14%. A magical wine, it may have a hard time eclipsing the 2005, but it is another prodigious effort in its own right. The dense purple color offers up notes of white chocolate, blueberry, blackberry, crushed rock, and white flowers. Textured, full-bodied, enormously pure, and voluptuously textured, it is nearly too easy to drink because of the exquisite balance and seamless integration of all its component parts. This is a killer Clos Fourtet that should drink well young yet evolve for 20+ years. (Tasted five times.) Score: 95 - 98 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2010-30 01 April 2010
Tasted at the Saint Emilion UGC, this has a surprisingly light, airy but well defined nose that is pinched at the moment, opens nicely but slowly with aeration to reveal black cherries, blackcurrant, briary and minerals, a touch of dried orange peel developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, very pure and harmonious, slight chewy texture at first, then building to a spicy, tannic finish with very fine persistency. Though lacking a little cohesion on the finish, I think this will meld together to form a very fine Clos-Fourtet after bottling. Tasted March 2010. Score: 92 - 94 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 21 April 2010
Offers blueberry, currant, mineral and violet. Full-bodied, with big, juicy tannins and loads of fruit. Very concentrated and velvety, with a lovely texture. Score: 94 - 97 James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2010
Very sweet nose of blueberries and floral notes. Fat, rich and full-blown with chewy tannins and tons of grip. Big but balanced. Score: 92 - 94 Albany Vintners, - 01 April 2010
Very dark purple. Meaty, interesting nose with hints of treacle and liquorice. Thick and sweet at the start and then some real texture kicks in but it doesn’t seem overdone – just ambitious. The alcohol is, just, kept in check. If purple had a taste, this would be it. Quite racy and sinewy. Though you need to wait quite a while for this one... Sweet and juicy and round. Lots of body and fat here. Long. Pretty impressive. Very suave. Lots of glamour. Score: 17 - 18 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2015 to 2030 30 March 2010

Tasting Notes

After tasting it three times from bottle, I am convinced this prodigious wine is one of the greatest young Bordeaux I have ever tasted. Inky blue/purple with notes of camphor, forest floor, blackberry, cassis, sweet cherries, licorice, the wine has stunning aromatics, unctuous texture and an almost inky concentration, but without any hard edges. With considerable tannin and just enough acidity to provide definition, this wine transcends even its premier grand cru classe terroir. It is certainly the finest Clos Fourtet ever produced. Give it 5-7 years of cellaring to allow some of its baby fat to fall away. There is certainly enough structure underneath to keep for 30-50 years. Bravo! From my barrel score of 95-98, I suppose I should have seen this perfect score coming, particularly considering what proprietor Philippe Cuvelier and estate manager Tony Ballu have accomplished over the last decade. This is one of the great terroirs of St.-Emilion, nearly 50 acres high on the clay beds and deep limestone plateau of the region, just a stone’s throw from the luxury hotel and restaurant Hostellerie de Plaisance. Yields were moderate at 34 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend is 88% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon (somewhat unusual) and the rest Cabernet Franc, aged 18 months in 80% new oak.

Score: 100

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2017-2067 01 March 2012

This is a perennial superstar thanks to the efforts of proprietor Philippe Cuvelier and the estate’s manager, Tony Ballu. This beautifully-situated, nearly 48-acre vineyard, high on the clay and deep limestone plateau just adjacent to the town walls of St.-Emilion, was harvested between September 28 and October 13, with yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare. The natural alcohol turned out to be 14%. A magical wine, it may have a hard time eclipsing the 2005, but it is another prodigious effort in its own right. The dense purple color offers up notes of white chocolate, blueberry, blackberry, crushed rock, and white flowers. Textured, full-bodied, enormously pure, and voluptuously textured, it is nearly too easy to drink because of the exquisite balance and seamless integration of all its component parts. This is a killer Clos Fourtet that should drink well young yet evolve for 20+ years. (Tasted five times.)

Score: 95 - 98

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2010-30 01 April 2010

Tasted at the Saint Emilion UGC, this has a surprisingly light, airy but well defined nose that is pinched at the moment, opens nicely but slowly with aeration to reveal black cherries, blackcurrant, briary and minerals, a touch of dried orange peel developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, very pure and harmonious, slight chewy texture at first, then building to a spicy, tannic finish with very fine persistency. Though lacking a little cohesion on the finish, I think this will meld together to form a very fine Clos-Fourtet after bottling. Tasted March 2010.

Score: 92 - 94

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 21 April 2010

Offers blueberry, currant, mineral and violet. Full-bodied, with big, juicy tannins and loads of fruit. Very concentrated and velvety, with a lovely texture.

Score: 94 - 97

James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2010

Very sweet nose of blueberries and floral notes. Fat, rich and full-blown with chewy tannins and tons of grip. Big but balanced.

Score: 92 - 94

Albany Vintners, - 01 April 2010

Very dark purple. Meaty, interesting nose with hints of treacle and liquorice. Thick and sweet at the start and then some real texture kicks in but it doesn’t seem overdone – just ambitious. The alcohol is, just, kept in check. If purple had a taste, this would be it. Quite racy and sinewy. Though you need to wait quite a while for this one... Sweet and juicy and round. Lots of body and fat here. Long. Pretty impressive. Very suave. Lots of glamour.

Score: 17 - 18

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2015 to 2030 30 March 2010

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