Château Clos Fourtet, 1er Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion, 2009
Clos Fourtet has been a little hit and miss - 2009 is a big hit! From the limestone plateau to the west of St Emilion town, Clos Fourtet has forged an absolute beauty. Big, heady aromas of flowers, rocks, inky black fruits and underbrush adorn the bouquet. The palate is a sophisticated and brooding melting pot of dark berries and minerals. This is very suave and lush; a really hedonistic intense, polished wine with wave after wave of decadent fruit liqueur. This is dense, but it is by no means thick or heavy. A beautifully balanced Clos Fourtet with wonderfully sculpted tannins and vivid, bright acidity.
critic reviews
The 2009 Clos Fourtet was picked between September 28 and October 13 at 34 hl/ha. It offers quite precocious red berry fruit on the nose, hints of kirsch and marmalade, attractively balanced with a background figgy aroma. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a silver line of acidity. Perhaps there is a touch of Brettanomyces, but it is very minor and does not subdue the fruit. Boasting impressive weight and girth on the finish, this is a wonderful Clos Fourtet that is just hitting its stride. Tasted at the Vinous Icons 2009 Bordeaux tasting in Miami in November 2024.
Welcoming aromatics, fully melted tannins even on the opening beats coupled with fresh juicy plum fruits and a limestone bite. This is delicious, tobacco, baking spice, cinnamon, cumin, incense, rosebuds and blackberry fruits. High quality, and totally ready to sink right in. 80% new oak. Stephane Derenoncourt and Jean-Claude Berrouet consultants.