Bordeaux, Château Quinault L'Enclos, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, FR, 2018

71.4% Merlot, 14.5% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon

93pts Wine Advocate 

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.

Located in the heart of Libourne, this chateau has a history dating back to the Roman Era. Today, the average age of the vineyard is 45 years old, with the oldest vines in production since 1934. The age of the vines lends to a very interesting genetic heritage and highly complex grapes. In the winery, this translates to terrior driven wines with great character.