| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Quintus is the latest venture of the Dillon family - owners of Chateau Haut Brion. This new 28 hectare estate was created following the purchase and amalgamation of Chateaux Tertre Daugay and l'Arrosée in Saint Emilion - vineyards close to Angélus. The 2018 is made from 72.3% Merlot, 27.7% Cabernet Franc.
A wine with wonderful clarity of fruit and firm, creamy and polished tannins. So intense and powerful. Layers of fruit and tannins intertwined. Lovely blackberry, black cherry, cedar and sandalwood. Mushroom and bark undertones. One of the best from here. Try after 2027.
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Quintus comes barreling out of the glass with bold notions of stewed black plums, boysenberry preserves, and fruitcake, plus wafts of chargrill, Indian spices, and iron ore. Full-bodied, the palate is concentrated and densely laden with black fruits and earthy layers, supported by firm, velvety tannins, finishing long and spicy.
2024-2042
Tasted blind. Light nose of rose petals. Sweet start and then some dryness on the end. Interesting and distinctive. Definitely sets out to charm. 15.5%
Drink 2024 – 2040
Black core with purple rim. Scented with cassis and the stony freshness of Cabernet Franc but all quite dark-fruited and restrained. Spicy too. Richer fruit on the palate compared with the Dragon but not as richly fleshed as I would have expected from the Merlot. A little severe, so that the alcohol sticks out, especially on the finish, though there's real finesse in the tannins. The fruit is fresh but the sugars must have been high.
Drink 2023-2029
Bright ruby in the glass, with a ripe and open nose of cherries, plums and dried flowers. The palate is chalky and earthy, with juicy red and black fruits at the core. This is supple, polished and round, with a pure and long finish of primary fruit and light spices.
(72 Merlot, 28 Cabernet Franc) | 38% new oak | 15.2% alc | 65 IPT I was expecting a more robust wine here, but this is a rather quiet and smooth effort from Quintus and the balance is erring on the side of tannic on the finish. The fruit is a little blunt and closed and it hasn’t the aromatic attack found on either the second wine Dragon or the new third wine. Nice enough, but not making the earth move, this is a wine which will need time in order for it to sort out which path it will take.
This is very reserved with blueberry, cedar and shaved-chocolate character. Medium to full body and firm, lightly chewy tannins that are polished and pretty. Energetic finish at the end.
A blend of 72.3% Merlot and 27.7% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Quintus is deep garnet-purple in color, bursting from the glass with rambunctious scents of stewed black plums, boysenberries, dried mulberries and Christmas pudding, plus suggestions of sandalwood, cinnamon stick, potpourri and oolong tea. Full-bodied, rich and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, it counters all that fruit with alluring exotic spice and floral accents, supported by plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and fragrant. 2023 - 2040
Composed of 72.3% Merlot and 27.7% Cabernet Franc, harvested September 20 to October 8, the 2018 Quintus is deep purple-black in color and rolls sensuously out of the glass with very pure, perfumed notes of lilacs, lavender, plum preserves and chocolate-covered cherries giving way to notes of spice cake, cardamom, fenugreek and fragrant soil plus a touch of unsmoked cigars. The full, rich, seductive palate provides layer upon layer of perfumed black fruits and spicy nuances with a firm yet soft frame and oodles of freshness to lift the long finish. Beautifully done.
