Clos Fourtet St Emilion Grand Cru Premier Grand Cru Classé 2016

Huge depth of colour, this delivers aromatics to dive right into, packed with violet flowers and baked fruit. The tannic structure remains young and very much in control, with edges of austerity, cradling the fruit, but once you wade through the first few moments, things relax to show creamy raspberry, black cherry and damson, with cocoa bean, espresso, sandalwood, incense, tobacco leaf. Pretty closed down at the moment, great lift on the finish and the sappy saline character, with an eucaluyptus, from ripe Merlot on limestone, just a beautiful wine that you will want to share, but give it time. 60% new oak. Stephane Derenoncourt and Jean-Claude Berrouet consultants.