Wine Advisor
Quinault l'Enclos 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Quinault l'Enclos comes from off a very gravelly soil with great drainage, but there's not a lot of water during dry periods. Adeptly produced by the team of Cheval Blanc (who purchased the estate in 2008), the wine nonetheless maintained its poise under the dry and warm ripening conditions of 2018, coming in at a respectable pH of 3.67 and relatively moderate alcohol of 14.1%. The 2018 Quinault l'Enclos has a deep garnet-purple color and beautifully expressed notes of baked black cherries, ripe black plums and boysenberries, plus hints of violets, dark chocolate, star anise and tobacco leaf. The medium-bodied palate has a gorgeous velvety texture and oodles of freshness supporting the perfumed black fruits, finishing long and fragrant. This vintage is a blend of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak and the rest in one-year-old 500-liter barrels and foudres. It is tempting to drink this right now, but give it two years in the cellar for full impact and enjoy it over the next 17+ years.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
This a very gravelly soil with great drainage, but not a lot of water during dry periods. Adeptly produced by the team of Cheval Blanc (who purchased the estate in 2008), the wine nonetheless maintained its poise under the dry, warm ripening conditions of 2018, coming in at a respectable pH of 3.67 and relatively moderate alcohol of 14.1%. The 2018 Quinault l'Enclos is blended of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc with 50% new oak and the rest in one-year-old barrels—but only 500-liter and foudres. Deep purple-black in color, it slips seductively out of the glass with notions of warm plums, blueberry preserves and mulberries with touches of spice box, tilled soil, black olives and licorice plus a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with muscular black fruit and licorice sparks, framed by rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with a peppery kick.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 Quinault L'Enclos is so impressive. Bright and delineated, the 2018 pulses with energy from start to finish. The aromatics alone are just captivating, with floral and savory notes that soar out of the glass. Lavender, sage, menthol, licorice, crushed rocks and plum all build as the 2018 shows off its considerable allure. The 2018 is such a gorgeous wine.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 Quinault L'Enclos is impressive. Creamy and ample, the 2018 stands out for its textural breadth. There is a level of intensity in the 2018 that previous vintages have not achieved, with a balance of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that is striking for such a young wine. All of the work the Cheval Blanc team has done here over the last ten years have begun to pay off big time. Half of the property was replanted between 2008 and 2012 with more Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc from Cheval and Merlot on later-ripening rootstock. In the glass, the 2018 Quinault offers a striking interplay of floral and savory aromatic and layered fruit, with ripe, silky tannins that caress a core of plush, plaint fruit and a gorgeous, saline-infused finish. There is a level of precision in the 2018 that is positively breathtaking.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Quinault L’Enclos was 10% matured in <em>foudres</em> plus 500-liter barrels. It has certainly retained its precocious bouquet of fig-tinged red berry fruit, crushed violets and cassis. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet, quite saturated entry and a core of fleshy red fruit. Missing a little complexity, and I find it just a bit cloying on the finish. So-so.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Quinault L’Enclos is 10% matured in foudres plus 500-litre barrels. It has a precocious bouquet with floral scents: iris and violet petals infusing the mélange of black and blue fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, very smooth in texture with blackberry, tar and light tobacco notes. It feels fresh in the mouth, although it just misses a little persistence on the aftertaste at the moment.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is the best Quinault ever for me with beautiful density and depth of fruit. Full body, velvety tannins and a long and intense finish. Lots of fruit, but the tannins hold it together.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A juicy red with creamy, polished tannins and attractive blackberry, blackcurrant, wet-earth and bark flavors. Rich finish. Needs time to come together, but already very attractive. Try after 2024.
About the Producer
Chateau Quinault l'Enclos is located in the Saint-Emilion appellation of Bordeaux, France, and dates back to the 17th century. The winery takes its name from a writer named Philipe Quinault. In 1930, the estate of the Château de Montréal was only 8 hectares. Until the 1990s, when Chateau Quinault l'Enclos came under the wing of the famous winemaking family - Raynaud Family, Dr. Alain Raynaud invested heavily in Chateau Quinault, eventually making it one of the most famous châteaux in Saint-Emilion. In 2008, Quinault l'Enclos was taken over by Bernard Arnault and Albert Frere, owners of the LVMH group. Then the winery became part of the LVMH group, along with the famous Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau La Tour Figeac, and the estate's vineyard area was expanded. The winemaking team became the Pierre Lurton team of Château Cheval Blanc. Michel Rolland, the famous "flying winemaker", was also hired as a consultant. Now, the vineyard is approximately 20 hectares, planted with 83% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The oldest vines were planted in 1930, and the average age is 45 years. The vineyard was taken over by LVMH in 2008 and was converted to organic farming, and in 2012 it was successfully certified as such. When Dr. Alain Raynaud was at the helm of Château Grand Cru, the wines produced were straightforward, sweet and ripe, round and soft, in the typical style of Saint-Emilion wines, suitable for drinking in their youth, with an optimum age of 10 to 12 years. Today's winemaking team, Pierre Lurton's team, produces wines that are clearer and fresher on the palate, with pleasantly soft tannins and well-integrated oak flavours.
