Château Quinault L'Enclos 2018

Falstaff

VertdeVin

The nose is fruity and offers a beautiful finesse of the grain, density, precision as well as a good maturity. It reveals notes of fleshy/almost creamy blackberry, wild raspberry, small notes of crushed blueberry associated with small touches of chocolate, toasted, very fine hints of vanilla and almond. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers a fine acidulous frame, juiciness, suavity, a beautiful finesse of the tension, a fine freshness, a small concentration as well as a racy minerality. On the palate this wine expresses notes of juicy/ripe cassis, juicy/Fresh blackberry, fleshy/juicy raspberry as well as hints of chocolate, toasted and very fine saline/sapide hints. Tannins are fine, elegant and well-built. Good length.

Robert Parker 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.

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.