Clos Fourtet 2005

The Clos Fourtet 2005 has a lifted, relatively high-toned bouquet with scents of blackcurrant jam, boysenberry and cassis, with a light floral note developing in the glass that still needs a little time to resolve. The palate is medium-bodied, calming everything down with a sensual texture, perfectly judged acidity and a very elegant dark cherry and cassis finish. Give this another four or five years in bottle if you can resist.

Features a lovely smoldering feel, with the currant and fig paste notes now melded seamlessly with apple wood and graphite details. Long and rich, this is starting to hint at a secondary phase, showing flashes of mulled spice, tobacco and tar. The structure has brightness and energy, but moves slowly to the background. Approachable now. -- Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2035. 3,833 cases made.

This vintage deserves the ‘of the century’ hype, combining 2008 freshness with 2003 allure. You have gorgeous ripeness, superb grip and vivacity. The 14.7% alcohol seems rather imperceptible given excellent balancing acidity. At nearly 20 years old, still on an upward trajectory, with noticeable tannic structure. When the tertiary aromas kick in, it will outshine both the 2003 and the 2008. A rather conservative score, because the 100 points will come with that added complexity. Consultant Stephane Derenoncourt calls it a ‘legendary vintage’. I agree, although the 2016 is even better. 3.51 pH.

Good deep red-ruby. Reduced nose offers redcurrant, plum, coffee and smoke. Sweet, lush and creamy on entry, then chewy and tactile if a bit closed in the middle, with suggestions of darker fruits and mocha. Impressively broad on the back, showing a serious wave of finishing fruit, but the tannins are a bit sullen today. Give this very lush, long wine at least seven or eight years of cellaring.

Chocolate, licorice, sea salt, smoke, roasted black cherries, spices, caramel, and dried-flower aromatics are easy to find. The palate matches the nose. It’s rich, concentrated, and packed with waves of salt-crusted berries, dark chocolate, chalk, and mint leaf. The finish holds with vibrancy and a wealth of crushed stones that shine on the back end. One hour of decanting is a good idea. Drink from 2024–2050.

Dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, an inviting, multi-faceted bouquet with delicate blackberry and liquorice, fine wild berries, a touch of fine oak and tangerine zest. The palate is complex, spicy, and full-bodied with supporting tannins, ripe plum fruit, mineral and persistent with some nougat on the saline, spicy finish. A powerful food wine with the potential for further ageing. A classic, great Clos Fourtet.

Made from 85% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 Clos Fourtet is a powerhouse that does everything right and is borderline perfection in a glass. Awesome notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, graphite, tobacco, and scorched earth all flow to a full-bodied, thrilling, concentrated, textured beauty that has sweet, sweet tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a finish that won’t quit. I think it’s drinking perfectly today, but it has two more decades of prime drinking ahead of it. Don’t miss this stunning bottle of wine!

Deep, dense purple with blood-red highlights. Direct, finely structured and enormously concentrated bouquet, a touch of cherry, violets, plenty of freshness despite the richness. On the palate, full and concentrated with fine texture, balanced astringency, now turning more towards blueberry; on the finish, massive yet ripe tannins that still need to be integrated through maturation and bottle age. If the “structural hardness” softens, there’s room for one more point.

Deep, dark purple with blood-red highlights. Direct, delicate and hugely concentrated bouquet, a hint of cherry, violet, showing lots of freshness despite its richness. On the palate, full, concentrated, fine texture, balanced astringency, now turning more toward blueberry, showing in the finish massive yet ripe tannins that still need to be tamed through élevage and bottle age; if it loses this “core hardness,” it could gain another point. 07: Complex impression, lots of ripe raspberries, cherry compote, crème brûlée. On the palate, unfortunately quite firm at the moment and a hardness not entirely in line with the vintage. But perhaps that’s also the potential that still needs to be integrated. 08: Smoke, black berries. On the palate, more power than finesse. Will need 10 years.

Fruity, fresh, soft bouquet with blue and black berries, and meaty notes. Fruity, velvety, full palate with sweet fruit, good tannins, and good aromatics. Longer, sweet finish. 18/20 2012 - 2025

Concentrated and intense from the first moment, the aromatics spiral out of the glass with incense, sandalwood, camphor, fennel, anise, liquorice, smoked earth. The impact from the smoked oak is still pretty evident even now, a reflection of the winemaking style at the time, but this is stunning and filled with complex layers of raspberry purée, pomegranate, cocoa bean and espresso. Hard to resist. 100% new oak. Consultants: Stephane Derenoncourt and Jean-Claude Berrouet.

The 2005 Clos Fourtet is a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-brick in color, it offers a spectacularly complex and perfumed nose of red roses, star anise, kirsch, and eucalyptus with a core of plum preserves and baked blackberries, plus a touch of tobacco leaf. Full-bodied and fantastically concentrated, it has a firm frame of ripe rounded tannins and seamless freshness, delivering a long and fragrant finish. Just starting to enter its drinking window, this opulent beauty can be enjoyed over the next 20+ years. Most of Clos Fourtet's vines are situated very close to the town of Saint-Emilion, on the limestone plateau. The estate belongs to the Cuvelier family, who purchased the property in 2000 and have conducted extensive replanting.

Intense color, lively yet bright fruit, full-bodied, long, with a beautiful velvety volume and freshness.

The 2005 immediately asserts itself with a most impressive array of aromas. Let’s stick to the essentials to avoid an aromatic glossary worthy of Papa Smurf’s spellbook! Think inviting nuances of praline, hints of morello cherry, then a touch of currants, suggesting Panettone, and finally—so as not to overlook it—a chalky note! On the palate, the wine reveals itself cautiously… yet again! It strikes me as an artist waiting in the wings, peering through a discreet opening in the curtain at the audience. Thus, it takes the stage with serenity, power, a saline edge, and a sense of fullness… after all, it’s already 17 years old! An energetic, powerful, elegant, lively, and charming wine.

Intense, beautiful color. Very ripe yet lively fruit on the nose. A creamy touch. A lovely, particularly fruity attack, followed by a smooth, fragrant evolution. The wine melts on the finish with fine-grained length. Distinct poise.

A perfumed, sweet wine, immediately attractive. Behind this friendly exterior is a dark core of firm tannins, along with spice, blackberries, and new wood—not too much, just right. This chateau is firmly back on form.