2015 Clos Fourtet

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

Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Heady and quite intriguing. Neat and dry. A tad drying on the end but impressive persistence. (JR)

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.