Red Wines

wines

This was the first vintage that technical director Pierre-Olivier Clouet started to exclusively use 500-liter barrels for Quinault l’Enclos, decreasing the surface area to which the wines are exposed and, ultimately, the impact of the oak. The percentage of new oak is around 50%, and the blend is 68% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Quinault l’Enclos opens with expressive redcurrants, black raspberries and black cherries scents with savory suggestions of tapenade, dried herbs and tobacco plus a waft of cloves. Medium-bodied, the palate is fantastically bright and lively with loads of red fruit accents and a firm frame of grainy tannins, finishing on an earthy note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2016 Quinault L’Enclos is very pretty and also intensely aromatic. Savory herb, mint, dried cherry, mocha and sweet tobacco are all lifted in this super-precise, nuanced Saint-Émilion. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. The 2016 is precise, nuanced and exquisitely beautiful, all in the understated style that is typical here.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGAnother fresh, pretty wine from the team at Cheval Blanc, the 2016 Château Quinault l’Enclos has nuanced notes of black cherries, blackberries, leafy herbs, and saddle leather. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced and seamless on the palate, with terrific purity, it will benefit from just a handful of years in the cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDAttractive nose, floral notes with a hint of mint, the palate is gourmand but fresh. Stays on the fruit and is really harmonious, with a persistent finish. Delicious. Drinking Window 2021 - 2032.Decanter | 92 DECA juicy and very elegant Quinault, showing hazelnut, dark-berry and cedar character. Medium body, with a lovely, fine-tannin texture and a delicious finish. Drink after 2022.James Suckling | 92 JSThis smooth wine is still lightly woody but has great fruit that will shine strongly over the next months. Juicy black-currant flavors are right up front, giving freshness to this attractive, fruity wine. It will be ready to drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

This has linear, very fine tannins that make it minerally and long. Medium body. Dark fruit with lavender and violet undertones. Very fresh acidity. Flavorful and fine. 74% merlot, 14% cabernet sauvignon and 12% cabernet franc. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 Quinault L’Enclos is racy, supple and wonderfully inviting. A wine of depth and texture, the 2019 impresses with its exceptional balance and class. Sweet red berry fruit, cedar, spice, tobacco and licorice build beautifully with a bit of time in the glass. This is a terrific showing from Quinault, which as readers probably know, is owned by Cheval Blanc. Over the last dozen years more than half the property has been developed. The results are starting to show. One of the most unique aspects of Quinault is that 20% of the wine is aged in 550-liter barrels, which are used to confer greater freshness. The 2019 is flat out gorgeous. Antonio Galloni | 93 AG(Château Quinault L’Enclos, St-Émilion, Bordeaux, France, Red) This has intense aromatics and supple tannins. A little subdued at first, then the floral side begins to burgeon out of the glass. Supple and fresh, nuanced blue and red berry fruits, with strength and precision. Harvest September 10 to October 2. A yield of 41hl/ha. Aged in 500l casks and larger 20hl foudres, 50% new oak. (Drink between 2025-2040)Decanter | 93 DECAromas of sweet cherries, rose petals, violets and dark chocolate introduce the 2019 Quinault l’Enclos, a medium to full-bodied, ample and lively wine that’s produced by Cheval Blanc’s winemaking team.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPRound and ripe in feel, with a savory streak amid cassis, cherry and plum compote notes, while tobacco and red licorice wrap up the finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2029. 6,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2020 Château Quinault L’Enclos, which saw two thirds of the blend brought up in foudre, is another beautiful, seamless wine from this estate that offers both richness and elegance. Black cherries, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and a touch of scorched earth all flow to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, finesse-driven Saint-Emilion that already offers pleasure. It will evolve for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis is hyper fine and polished with currants, light chocolate and hazelnut aromas and flavors. Medium body. Fresh and very long. Extremely pretty and fine. Drinkable, but better in 2026.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2020 Quinault L’Enclos is a gorgeous, deeply pitched Saint-Émilion. Rose petal, mint, dried herbs and sweet red berry fruit all grace this wonderfully layered, nuanced Saint-Émilion. Pure and nuanced, with terrific energy, Quinault has a ton to offer. In 2020, the Cabernets (15% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc) are super-expressive. There is just a bit of youthful austerity that needs time to soften.Vinous Media | 93 VMBlack fruits, livey and quite vibrant yet with a seriously salty liquorice tang to the profile. Exotic spice lingers on the finish, surrounded by a minty freshness which gives a wide expression. Chalky, powdery, yet also quite bitter with dark chocolate and clove marking the finish. Yet there is a lovely overarching freshness, and lingering seduction and charm. Feels sophisticated but sombre, with lots of minerality and wood notes.Decanter | 92 DECThis vineyard in the heart of the city of Libourne is now showing great quality. Ripe black fruits dominate the tannins, giving a wine of great freshness. It is succulent, with generous fruitiness while keeping an good structure. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2020 Quinault l’Enclos offers up aromas of cherries, plums and crushed mint, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and lively palate built around powdery tannins that somewhat temper this site’s proclivity for an overt, even obvious, expression of fruit.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP