2012 Quinault L'enclos Bordeaux Red

2012 Quinault L'enclos

92 WE

Featured Review

This vineyard is a small enclave of vines surrounded by the city of Libourne. Now made by the Cheval Blanc wine team, it shows great style and richness. Attractive tannins and acidity are integrated into the rounded blackberry fruits. It's a wine for medium-term aging, so drink from 2017. Wine Enthusiast

Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Aromatic, with notes of spicy red plums. Full-bodied, spicy and fleshy with supplea tannin, and balancing acidity. Cabernet Franc is not part of its style, being Merlot dominant, backed up by Cabernet Sauvignon, and just a dash of Cabernet Franc. They are planting more Cabernet Sauvignon: ‘it brings density – we want density from Cabernet sauvignon and not from the work in the cellar’ says technical director Pierre-Olivier Clouet. Drinking Window 2019 - 2030.

Decanter | 90 DEC

A fine and complex wine with walnuts, berries and coffee beans. Full to medium body, firm and fine tannins and a tangy finish. Stones and other minerals. This needs a year or two to soften.

James Suckling | 90 JS

The 2012 Quinault l'Enclos was described as the first vintage whereby they made the wine they wanted, according to technical director, Pierre-Olivier Clouet. It certainly has a winsome nose with cedar and iodine aromas, all very pure and charming. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, a wine built on its purity, though I do find it just a little monotone towards the finish. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at Berry, Brothers & Rudd.

Vinous Media | 90 VM

Type of Wine	Bordeaux Red : Picture in your mind a combination of cedar, lead pencil, blackcurrant, plum and mineral aromatics, and texture that caresses your palate like a playful lover. The experience is thrilling from the first whiff to the final seconds of a tannic, generous finish - that is what you'll get from a Bordeaux Red
Varietal	Bordeaux Blend
Country	France : Wine is the lifeblood that courses through the country of France, pulsing with vigorous pride and determination. Viticulture is not just a hobby or an occupation in France; it is a passion, a cherished tradition that has been passed down through generations of wine stained hands. Winemaking is a beloved art that has been ingrained in the culture, an aptitude instilled in sons by fathers and the hallmark for which France’s reputation was built, allowing it to be renowned as, arguably, the most important wine producing country in the world. For centuries, France has been producing wines of superior quality and in much greater quantity than any other country in the world. It boasts some of the most impressive wine regions, coveted vineyards and prestigious wines on earth. The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Sauternes and Champagne have become the benchmark, for which others aspire to become. Legendary producers such as Chateaux Margaux, Domaine De La Romanee Conti, Chapoutier, d’Yquem and Dom Perignon are idolized world-wide. France has stamped its name on nearly every style of wine, from the nectar-like sweet Sauternes to hedonistic Chateauneuf Du Papes classic Bordeaux and Burgundy, to its sparkling dominance in Champagne. Many of the most infamous grape varietals in the world, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay originated in France and are not only beloved, but utilized in the creation of some of the greatest wines on earth. French wine production commands the attention of the wine market year after year. With over 860,000 hectares under vine, and numbers close to 50 million hectoliters of wine produced annually, France dominates the market and sets the standard for not only product quality, but also quantity. France’s many contributions to the world of wine have been absolutely indispensable. The country is the originator of the term “Premier Cru,” coined the term Terroir (a French term so complex there is no literal translation) and has laid the blueprint for a structured appellation system, which others have implemented in their own countries. French vineyard techniques and winemaking practices are mimicked world-wide. California vintners have been replicating Rhone style wines for decades, South America has adopted the French varietal of Malbec and countries around the world are imitating Burgundian styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With vast diversity in terroir, France is home to some of the most hospitable winegrowing locations on earth. The combination of topography, geology, climate, rainfall and even the amount of sunlight combined with the long historical tradition of winegrowing and making, has allowed the vintners of France to not only hone their skills, but learn from nature to create a product that like the world in which it resides… is very much alive.