En Primeur - In bond per 6x75cl
"Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 91-94/100
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. April 2019
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Advocate 93+/100
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. Drink 2023 to 2040 Reviewed March 2021"
The high reputation of Ch Quinault l’Enclos is a relatively new phenomenon that developed following the purchase of the property by Alain Raynaud in 1997. Quality soared during this period and a loyal following developed for the estate, to the extent that in 2008 it was purchased by Bernard Arnault and Albert Frere, proprietors of Chateau Cheval Blanc. The technical team from Cheval Blanc have been in charge since that time and the property has been certified as Organic since 2012.
The property extends to 20 hectares almost within the city limits of Libourne on flat sandy/gravel soil over clay and is planted 83% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Some blocks of old vines date back the 1930’s and 1950’s. Following manual harvest and fermentation in wooden vats the wine undergoes elevage in up to 50% new oak.
