Clos Fourtet 2010

The wine has an opaque blue/black color and abundant notes of forest floor, spring flowers, black raspberry and blueberry liqueur in the aromatics along with hints of espresso and white chocolate. The wine is dense, full, rich, unctuously textured and very full-bodied, with its extravagant glycerin, fruit and extract covering the wine’s somewhat tannic structure. This is a bigger, more restrained and structured wine than the outrageously flamboyant and prodigious 2009. Give it 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30-40 years. This property has been on fire, qualitatively speaking, for well over a decade. Another compelling effort from the Cuvelier family, the 2010 Clos Fourtet is a blend of 87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc that came in at 14.5% alcohol. Yields were modest at 31 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest was late, starting at the very end of September and not finishing until the beginning of the third week of October.

A beautiful wine, with everything in the bottle. Blackberries, minerals and blueberries. Full and silky. Long, long finish.

Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London. The Clos Fourtet has an intense, voluminous bouquet with dark plum, dried figs and sweet red berry fruit that beautifully encases the new oak. The palate is ripe, controlled and in my opinion, shows more control and precision than recent vintages...including the more opulent 2009. Yes, there is a sense of reserve to this 2010, but the terroir really shows through on the black truffle tinged finish. Superb. Tasted November 2012.