Quinault l'Enclos 2006

The 2006 Quinault l'Enclos exhibits the elegant style that Raynaud has achieved in every vintage over the last decade. Sweet black raspberry and currant fruit along with hints of spring flowers and smoky oak are followed by a round, gentle, restrained wine revealing outstanding purity, medium body, and a fine finish. While it is not as prodigious as the 2005, it is a strong effort for the vintage. There are also 5,000 bottles of a kosher wine which Libourne's local rabbi produces and serves as administrator.My visit to Chateau Quinault and seeing proprietor Alain Raynaud was tinged with sadness as the world economic climate has forced him to sell Quinault l'Enclos to the owners of Cheval Blanc. Hopefully they will continue to produce wine at this vineyard, which is essentially a true clos (a walled vineyard), but the land is even more valuable as real estate since it is in the city of Libourne, and is surrounded by housing projects. Time will tell, but Raynaud deserves credit for creating a legacy from a terroir that was much maligned when he purchased it, only to prove everyone wrong.

Tasted privately with a negotiant. A distinct, lifted nose of ripe blackberry, dark chocolate and cassis. It lacks some delineation and freshness. The palate is full-bodied with chewy tannins, a little low in acidity but good purity of fruit. Black cherries, redcurrants some orange peel. Just a little forced for me, but good length. Lacks typicity and a little charm. Tasted April 2007.

Mid crimson without great concentration at the rim. Solid, sweet thick on the nose - lots of thick texture - with a suggestion of something that reminds me of Spain - a suggestion of bonfires and cordite. Every attempt has been made to make this wine as concentrated as possible. More pronounced acid than tannin. Admirably persistent but with a slightly rasping finish. Solid quality even if hardly ethereal.

Good bright ruby-red. Complex aromas of dark raspberry, musky espresso, smoke, mocha and tobacco. Broad, supple and sweet, with a pliant texture and lovely aromatic lift to the flavors of redcurrant, iron, tobacco and flowers. An elegantly styled wine with good stuffing, ripe acidity and no rough edges. This is balanced to give early pleasure but has the spine to age for the next 10 or 12 years.

An extraordinarily elegant Quinault with remarkable purity and texture has been produced in 2006. This blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, and enjoys every state-of-the-art winemaking technique, most of them Burgundy-inspired (especially the cold pre-fermentation maceration, malolactic in barrel, and aging on its lees with plenty of batonnage). A top-notch success for proprietor Alain Raynaud and his wife, Francoise, this deep ruby/purple-colored effort exhibits sweet aromas of spring flowers, blueberries, and raspberries. Medium-bodied and layered, with attractive sweetness, ripe tannin, a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, and alcohol, and a long finish, it will drink beautifully in 3-4 years, and should last for 15 or more thereafter.