Clos Fourtet - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe1/1/2013

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. There is a touch of reduction on the nose on the Clos Fourtet ‘09 – dark baked cherries, a touch of marmalade and shoe polish. The palate is medium-bodied with a spicy core of black, liquorice fruit. It is dense and spicy, although the finish is a little hard and penetrating. This needs to calm down…and it will. Tasted January 2013. (92+ points)

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

94 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe7/31/2012

Bright, deep ruby. Slightly porty yet fresh on the hugely ripe nose, offering scents of medicinal cherry, minerals, licorice and roasted meat. Plush, seamless and wonderfully deep, with sexy sweetness leavening by strong minerality. One of the fullest and most mouthfilling wines of this fleshy vintage. Not hugely complex--in fact a bit youthfully monolithic today--but wonderfully dense wine with fully ripe, sweet tannins and superb persistence.

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/29/2012

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.

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

byJames Molesworththe1/18/2012

Rather ripe, but nicely framed by singed apple wood, which keeps the core of damson plum, black currant and black cherry flavors at bay for now. Licorice root and black tea notes undercut the finish, which is on the grippy side. This opens steadily in the glass, too. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2014 through 2027. 3,750 cases made. –JM

Le Figaro

94-96 / 100

byBernard Burtschythe6/30/2010

Robe très sombre. Nez réglisse. En bouche, souple et dense, compact, serré, long, vertical, finale superbe, 88 % merlot, 8 % cabernet-sauvignon, 4 CD. 80 % fût neuf.

timatkin.com

95 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe6/30/2010

14.8% alcohol. 88M, 8CS, 8CF The proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon is lower than usual at this much improved property, but its inclusion in the blend still adds freshness to a wine that carries its high alcohol lightly. This is aromatic and balanced, with sweet blackcurrant and plum fruit, smooth tannins and good concentration. Surprisingly fresh on the palate. 15+ years.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

88-91 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe6/30/2010

Dark purple-ruby with inky highlights. Blackberry and cedar aromas pick up a pretty floral note with air. Rich, ripe and creamy, this very smooth wine offers black fruit, cedar and spicy oak flavors of moderate concentration and complexity. Well-made but doesn't quite come alive today. Finishes with red berry and floral nuances, a trace of alcoholic warmth and youthfully assertive tannins that will require plenty of patience.

La Revue du Vin de France

16-17 / 20

the5/31/2010

Le cru a été grêlé à 15%, mais cela n'a pas eu la même incidence que sur d'autres vignobles du plateau. La décision a été prise d'aller assez loin dans la maturité. Le degré d'alcool est élevé, mais moins qu'en 2005, et les acidités plus élevées équilibrent la bouche. Minéral, soyeux, classique, avec du moelleux et de la longueur en finale.

Wein Wisser

18 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe5/17/2010

Tiefes Purpur. Feines, süssbeeriges Bouquet mit Himbeeren und Kirschen sowie milchigem Schimmer darüber. Im Gaumen mit schönem Stoff und eleganten Tanninen, Milchkaffeetouch, gross, mit Finesse und Klasse, gut balanciert, aber irgendwie unspektakulär. 2015-2034

Le Point

17,5-18 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/6/2010

Fruits noirs, mûre, tanins moelleux, veloutés, très fins, rond, gourmand, élégant ; vin suave, délicat, sans doute l'alcool souligne la rondeur des tanins mais l'ensemble est bien équilibré, beaucoup de présence en bouche. O=2016 G=20 ans

TAST

17,5-18 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2010

Chocolaté et gras, fruit d’une maturité optimale, très savoureux, profond, beau volume intense et généreux. Brillant.

Wine Enthusiast

95-97 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/30/2010

Black, dense fruits; licorice and dark chocolate over prunes and ripe figs. This is a spicy wine with the acidity of the fruit forming a great balancing counterweight. Very complete.

Falstaff

92-94 / 100

byPeter Moserthe4/30/2010

Feinwürzig, zart rauchig unterlegte Dörrobstanklänge, Orangenzesten. Rotbeerige Nuancen, frisch strukturiert, angenehme, süße Tannine, finessenreich und harmonisch, feiner Schokoladenachhall, sehr delikat, bereits jetzt sehr ausgewogen.

Wine Advocate

95-98 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/28/2010

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.) Drink 2010-2030.

Periodic Review of Wine

94-96 / 100

byAlan Duranthe4/28/2010

Another big hit for this estate. It will be interesting to see which vintage has the upper-hand, 2009 or 2008. The deep ruby-purple colored Clos Fourtet boasts crushed-stone, liquefied-minerals, plums, cherries, blueberries, and lilacs. This is full-bodied, dense, and amazingly rich with superb fruits of crème de cassis and black cherry. There are rock flavours and a texturally-elastic impression due to the mass of fruit. Another Fabulously-pure and lengthy Clos Fourtet in this stunning vintage for Bordeaux! Maturity period 2015-2028+

Anthony Rose

93-95 / 100

byAnthony Rosethe4/26/2010

Dense saturated vivid opaque ruby purple colour, attractively spicy nose without excessive oak, excellent rich fruit concentration and black fruits flavours, quite a bit of oak, but it's stylish oak, and the structure is quite masculine and firm but there's enough weight of mulberry fruit here and freshness of acidity to carry it ; slightly chewy and dry on the finish, but with this level of concentration, you can see through the tannins to the fruit on the other side. Very good indeed. Actually very sexy and seductive indeed.

Wine Spectator

94-97 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/9/2010

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

Jancis Robinson

17,5 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/8/2010

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. Drink 2015-2030.