Fun to try this next to the 2014, the 1978 was unsurprisingly filled with sherry (without being ‘sherried’), toffee, and leather notes, but surprisingly fresh and energetic. Not bitter, even with some sediment. Solid and fresh considering its age.
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Open that Bottle Night 2009 Austin (Austin, TX): Tasted blind. Clear ruby color with some orange tones around the rim. Rather bretty on the nose but not overpowering. The color and aroma and initial led me to guess its age at 15-20 years (boy I was off!). I thought it was French but thought it might be a Loire wine. As Steffen notes it still had surprising tannins for its age with interesting flavors of leather and dark fruit. I kept this in my glass and returned to it over and over again. Lovely wine, thanks Steffen.
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Open a bottle evening (chez Shannon and David): Just like the last bottle, this one was magic. Funky, but with surprising structure and tannins. Blackberries and leather and great verve. Finish solid. I love this wine.
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This was magic in a bottle. When I first opened it, I could tell this would be an out of body experience. Dark color that kept darkening with some time. Clearly a very old wine that has somehow managed to retain incredibly rich, supple fruit, while also being fresh and lively. Deep dark plum and berry fruit with tons of truffle, smoked meat, and a good shot of brett (in a good way) that made this as layered and complex as any red wine I've had in years. Finish sailed on and on. Great food match with grilled NY Strip Steak, Gratin Dauphinois, and Sicilian Salad. This was as good as a bottle of 1990 Montrose years ago and similarly bretty (again in a good way). If I had to score this in terms of numbers, it would be in the very high 90s. Insanely good.
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this was the last remaining bottle in my cellar. it is surprising to me that such a wonderful wine is not owned by others nor has it received recognition in tasing notes. perhaps much of this wine was consumed in its youth based upon parker's report indicating that it did not have a future. for me, the wine has provided consistent pleasure over the past 30 years. this bottle showed a high shoulder fill. foil was intact. lots of soil under the foil but without detectable smell. cork was fully saturated. tight fitting but fragile. extracted in three segments. no back pressure this time. earthen nose emanates from the bottle immediately and remains persistent in the glass. color is noticeably brown, yet the taste remains fresh. plenty of fruit left although it has lost its youth. the wine exceeds its pedigree like a lady in the king's court. no need to hide the ravages of time with makeup. at the time i purchased this wine, it was not widely recognized in the united states and sold at a very modest price point. current vintages command prices that are more in line with the high expectations that have come to be associated with this producer.
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emerging from the house after withstanding the greatest single day rainfall in a century, i decided to see what was happening in the cellar. discovered 6 inches of water with a bottle or two floating around. as it happens, this bottle was slated for early consumption anyway. after cleaning and discovering that the label could not be salvaged, decided to pop the cork. foil had corroded. cork was extracted in 3 segments. fully saturated but tight fitting with some back pressure on final extraction. significant black and green deposits on shank which i assume to be mold. high shoulder fill. after evaluating all these risk factors and reviewing previous notes, i was delighted to find that the wine gods were indeed smiling as the wine emerged alive and well. youthful color. forward nose. fully resolved tannins. not a block buster but a beautiful mature bordeaux with great finesse. nevertheless, i will not tempt the fates any longer. still plan to enjoy the remaining bottle before the end of summer.
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cork fully saturated. firm but brittle. bottom 1/5th remains in neck upon extraction. had to remove with ah-so. overall, this bottle is not as well preserved as the one we enjoyed last year. same pressure behind cork as last time. color slightly brown on pour but deep garnet in the glass. some bottle funk takes 20 minutes to clear. the nose is not as pronounced as last time but retains characteristics previously described. the wine seems a bit fragile and perhaps ready to break up. however, it pulls itself together for 10 minutes after being open for 40 minutes. should probably drink the last two right away. however, will pray to the wine gods and hope against hope that they may be in better shape and keep them until the early part of 2007.
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have enjoyed several "pre-cellar tracker" bottles over the years with consistently high drinking pleasure qotients. therefore, looked forward to opening this bottle, although with some trepidation, given parker's judgment that the wine was moribund early in its development. what a pleasant surprise to find the wine to be in perfect condition. all the more so, since there was some back pressure behind the cork. the aroma was more fragrant than i recall from previous tasting. wonderful floral notes reminiscent of lilac and scented roses. somewhat disappointing was the lack of follow through on the palate although substantial body was evident. my tasting companion thought that the wine started to break up after half an hour but i was not impressed with this. overall, this was a wonderful experience, considering the somewhat modest reputation of the chateau. it apparently did well under the hands of the lurton family. i wonder why they sold it. hoping that the wine has at least another year to go before calling it quits, i will hoard my three remaining bottles, especially since there is no longer any retail availability.
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An easy afternoon with close friends (@ PdV): Deep bouquet with earthy tones, creamy fruits and good oak. In the taste black fruits and liquorice. Full bodied with a lot of tannin. The wine will benefit from several years of storage. This is the best Clos Fourtet I tasted up to now.
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11/18/2023 - csimm wrote: 92 Points
At Vignobles et Chateaux, St. Emilion.
Fun to try this next to the 2014, the 1978 was unsurprisingly filled with sherry (without being ‘sherried’), toffee, and leather notes, but surprisingly fresh and energetic. Not bitter, even with some sediment. Solid and fresh considering its age.
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2/28/2009 - Winetex wrote: 93 Points
Open that Bottle Night 2009 Austin (Austin, TX): Tasted blind. Clear ruby color with some orange tones around the rim. Rather bretty on the nose but not overpowering. The color and aroma and initial led me to guess its age at 15-20 years (boy I was off!). I thought it was French but thought it might be a Loire wine. As Steffen notes it still had surprising tannins for its age with interesting flavors of leather and dark fruit. I kept this in my glass and returned to it over and over again. Lovely wine, thanks Steffen.
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2/28/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Open a bottle evening (chez Shannon and David): Just like the last bottle, this one was magic. Funky, but with surprising structure and tannins. Blackberries and leather and great verve. Finish solid. I love this wine.
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1/11/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
This was magic in a bottle. When I first opened it, I could tell this would be an out of body experience. Dark color that kept darkening with some time. Clearly a very old wine that has somehow managed to retain incredibly rich, supple fruit, while also being fresh and lively. Deep dark plum and berry fruit with tons of truffle, smoked meat, and a good shot of brett (in a good way) that made this as layered and complex as any red wine I've had in years. Finish sailed on and on. Great food match with grilled NY Strip Steak, Gratin Dauphinois, and Sicilian Salad. This was as good as a bottle of 1990 Montrose years ago and similarly bretty (again in a good way). If I had to score this in terms of numbers, it would be in the very high 90s. Insanely good.
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3/15/2008 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
this was the last remaining bottle in my cellar. it is surprising to me that such a wonderful wine is not owned by others nor has it received recognition in tasing notes. perhaps much of this wine was consumed in its youth based upon parker's report indicating that it did not have a future. for me, the wine has provided consistent pleasure over the past 30 years. this bottle showed a high shoulder fill. foil was intact. lots of soil under the foil but without detectable smell. cork was fully saturated. tight fitting but fragile. extracted in three segments. no back pressure this time. earthen nose emanates from the bottle immediately and remains persistent in the glass. color is noticeably brown, yet the taste remains fresh. plenty of fruit left although it has lost its youth. the wine exceeds its pedigree like a lady in the king's court. no need to hide the ravages of time with makeup. at the time i purchased this wine, it was not widely recognized in the united states and sold at a very modest price point. current vintages command prices that are more in line with the high expectations that have come to be associated with this producer.
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4/16/2007 - bacchus wrote: 92 Points
emerging from the house after withstanding the greatest single day rainfall in a century, i decided to see what was happening in the cellar. discovered 6 inches of water with a bottle or two floating around. as it happens, this bottle was slated for early consumption anyway. after cleaning and discovering that the label could not be salvaged, decided to pop the cork. foil had corroded. cork was extracted in 3 segments. fully saturated but tight fitting with some back pressure on final extraction. significant black and green deposits on shank which i assume to be mold. high shoulder fill. after evaluating all these risk factors and reviewing previous notes, i was delighted to find that the wine gods were indeed smiling as the wine emerged alive and well. youthful color. forward nose. fully resolved tannins. not a block buster but a beautiful mature bordeaux with great finesse. nevertheless, i will not tempt the fates any longer. still plan to enjoy the remaining bottle before the end of summer.
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9/29/2006 - bacchus wrote: 89 Points
cork fully saturated. firm but brittle. bottom 1/5th remains in neck upon extraction. had to remove with ah-so. overall, this bottle is not as well preserved as the one we enjoyed last year. same pressure behind cork as last time. color slightly brown on pour but deep garnet in the glass. some bottle funk takes 20 minutes to clear. the nose is not as pronounced as last time but retains characteristics previously described. the wine seems a bit fragile and perhaps ready to break up. however, it pulls itself together for 10 minutes after being open for 40 minutes. should probably drink the last two right away. however, will pray to the wine gods and hope against hope that they may be in better shape and keep them until the early part of 2007.
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10/16/2005 - bacchus wrote: 92 Points
have enjoyed several "pre-cellar tracker" bottles over the years with consistently high drinking pleasure qotients. therefore, looked forward to opening this bottle, although with some trepidation, given parker's judgment that the wine was moribund early in its development. what a pleasant surprise to find the wine to be in perfect condition. all the more so, since there was some back pressure behind the cork. the aroma was more fragrant than i recall from previous tasting. wonderful floral notes reminiscent of lilac and scented roses. somewhat disappointing was the lack of follow through on the palate although substantial body was evident. my tasting companion thought that the wine started to break up after half an hour but i was not impressed with this. overall, this was a wonderful experience, considering the somewhat modest reputation of the chateau. it apparently did well under the hands of the lurton family. i wonder why they sold it. hoping that the wine has at least another year to go before calling it quits, i will hoard my three remaining bottles, especially since there is no longer any retail availability.
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1/1/2003 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
great bottle.
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1/1/2002 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
great bottle.
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1/1/2001 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
great bottle.
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1/1/2000 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
great bottle.
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2/2/1996 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Still great. Complex, spicy, fruits and good acidity. Soft tannin. A beauty now.
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9/7/1994 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Reaching full maturity now. A creamy and spicy wine with still some soft tannin.
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7/3/1994 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Very deep bouquet with liquorice and some alcohol, but also finesse and power. Very juicy wine with a firm dose of tannin and character. Really good.
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2/6/1988 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends (@ PdV): Deep bouquet with earthy tones, creamy fruits and good oak. In the taste black fruits and liquorice. Full bodied with a lot of tannin. The wine will benefit from several years of storage. This is the best Clos Fourtet I tasted up to now.
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1/25/1985 - LWI wrote: 87 Points
Medium tannins and medium body, quite long. May still have some development ahead.
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