Clos Fourtet 2023

What a perfume! Guaranteed goosebumps, profound, with dark and red berries topped by floral notes; on the palate, chiseled from stone, chalky, crisp fruit, the finest tannins, an exceptionally long, saline finish. An immensely elegant Clos Fourtet with great potential.

Gorgeous fragrance, really ripe and expressive, so floral and perfumed too. Lovely pure aromatic expression. Ripe but juicy raspberry and black cherry fruit – cool and so refreshing. I love the gentle style, it’s smooth with tannins that give body but no weight. More vertical than wide, it’s layered and delicate. Finessed as you expect from Clos Fourtet. Lithe, supple, mouthwatering, a certain density is there and the length is great. Cool but chalky too. There’s power here in the fleshiness but it’s juicy with a touch of oak and enjoyable bitterness on the finish. Ageing: 40% new oak, 60% one-year barrels. 3.5 pH. 46 hl/ha yield.

Your initial introduction packs in flowers, red plums, cherries, black raspberries, crushed rocks, and chocolate in the perfume. The palate offers good concentration in a fresh, energetic style, perfectly balancing its sweet, lifted fruits with minerality. There is length, purity, and refinement, with a lingering, vibrant finish. The wine blends 87% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2028-2055.

Dark ruby, purple reflections. Delicate notes of candied orange zest, ripe cherry fruit, a hint of plums and nougat, fine savoury nuances, inviting bouquet. Medium body, red berries, fine tannins, fresh structure, salty and lemony, a lively, almost light-footed style, delicately nutty, but only of medium length.

Playful bouquet of fresh wild raspberry, sandalwood, and charming violet perfume. On the delicate palate, a silky texture, vibrant energy, a tightly knit tannic framework, and a very taut body. In the concentrated, long finish, sour cherry juice, a noble chalky note, and granular astringency.

Starts right out of the gate with fragrant white flowers, lime zest freshness, a scraped pumice-stone limestone feel, strong Clos Fourtet character coming through, with cassis and black cherry fruits, a whirl of peony and iris flowers, inching forward step by step across the palate. Aged in 2% amphora, 45% new oak, with berries destemmed but uncrushed before fermenting. Stephane Derenoncourt consultant.

Score: 93–95. A superb nose of red rose and rose leaf, with hints of cassia and cinnamon. On the palate, soothing red fruits wrap around a mineral, saline core that gives the wine energizing drive. A fresh, delicate whole, with velvety tannins.

A lovely nose—elegant, complex, precise and fresh—offering tension, depth, a pretty lacy feel, as well as both power and subtlety. Notes of boysenberry, fleshy blackcurrant and, more lightly, vibrant small blue fruits mingle with touches of cornflower, star anise, sweet blond tobacco, plus discreet hints of almond and mild pepper. A delicate bouquet that blossoms, opening slowly in the glass. Fine, beautifully nuanced intensity. The palate is beautifully handled: chiselled, fresh, mineral and bright, with fine definition and depth. Accurate and supple throughout. Lovely brightness / fruit sparkle. On the palate, this wine shows notes of juicy, fleshy Bigarreau cherry, violet and, more lightly, bright blackcurrant, alongside touches of gleaming blue plum, liquorice stick, plus hints of infusion, cocoa and toasted notes, a subtle touch of fresh tobacco (in the background), Bourbon vanilla and toasted almond. Elegance, with a graphite/chalky edge to the tannins. A lovely finish, precise and delicate. A real tannic presence, yet all in finesse. A subtle chewiness through the persistence.