Merlot, Cabernet Franc
75cl * 15.5 ABV * St-Emilion, Bordeaux, France
Formerly known as Château Tertre Daugay, a Classified Growth of Saint-Émilion, Château Quintus is a fairly new name in Bordeaux. Purchased in 2013, the Right Bank estate located near Château Angelus and Château Ausone, is the fifth estate within the Clarence Dillon portfolio. The name comes from the Gallo-Romans, creators of Saint-Emilion’s vineyards, and their tradition of naming their fifth child Quintus.
The property is under the energetic management of director Jean-Philippe Delmas, who, together with Clarence Dillon saw the potential of this 16 hectare vineyard. The team have extensively renovated the cellar with state-of-the-art technology. Changes in the vineyard include replacing Cabernet Sauvignon vines with Cabernet Franc which have thrived in the limestone and clay soil. The majority of the remaining vines are 30 years old, a few are almost 100 years old.
Despite the estate's relative youth, the team is so confident of the quality of their wine that they conducted a blind tasting against five of the most highly-regarded growths in Saint-Émilion in May 2022. Twenty-eight judges including Jancis Robinson, Jane Anson and Neal Martin tasted all vintages from 2011 to 2018 and awarded four perfect 100 points scores, three of which going to Quintus. From the 2011 vintage, the grand vin has been called Château Quintus (Le Dragon de Quintus is the second wine, with the third wine, Saint-Emilion de Quintus, launched in 2014).
Made up of 62.5% Merlot and 37.5% Cabernet Franc, the Château Quintus 2020 is deep purple in colour with impressive concentration on the nose. As it opens up (decant for 1-2 hours), aromas of very ripe red and black fruit mix with spicy hints and give a superb complexity. Damson and black cherry escort you through to the chocolate and liquorice on the palate and linger for a delightfully long finish. This is a quintessential St Emilion - round and supple - and looks to be something that will really sing with 8-10 years in the bottle, therefore drinking around 2029-2044.
Wine Fact: Specifically designed for Château Quintus by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the bottle was inspired by Château Haut-Brion’s antique bottles dating from the mid-19th century after one of these bottles was discovered in a pirates’ cache near the island of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.
~ Critic Reviews ~
"Wow. This is very chalky and salty with lots of mineral character. It shows lots of purple fruit and firm tannins. Racy and bright. Chewy yet fine tannins. Gorgeous. Gets better and better.." - 97-98/100 Points, James Suckling (Tasted April 2021)
"Displaying a deep purple-black color, it leaps from the glass with bold notes of crushed blackberries, boysenberries and stewed plums, plus suggestions of chocolate mint, clove oil, lilacs and star anise. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with rich black fruits and floral accents, framed by well-balanced acidity and finely grained tannins, finishing with great length and impressive energy. Judging from this barrel sample, this is the finest, most complex and complete Quintus yet—bravo!" 95-97/100 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (May 2021)
"A big, velvety textured wine, especially in the vintage, the 2020 Château Quintus offers a gorgeous array of pure crème de cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as leafy herbs, graphite, and chocolate. These all carry to a full-bodied Saint-Emilion with a round, mouth-filling texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This estate has been firing on all cylinders of late, and this should be in the same realm as the 2016, 2018, and I suspect, the 2019." 94-96/100 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)
"Nice and fresh! Opulent palate entry but then very sophisticated drive. Distinctively focussed and much drier than most St-Émilions with limestone influence well in evidence. Already persistent. Lean, fresh tannins on the finish. Not in the rich camp but expressive in its own style. Drink 2026 - 2040." 16.5+/20 Points, Jancis Robinson (April 2021)
"This is a very suave Saint-Émilion that will be difficult to resist in its youth. Drink from 2028 to 2045" 92-94/100 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous (Tasted May 2021)
"The 2020 Quintus is wonderfully promising. Soft contours and generous fruit give it tons of immediate appeal. Blueberry, mocha, lavender, spice and new leather are some of the aromas and flavors that emerge over time. More than anything else, though, Quintus impresses with its harmony. The 2020 is one of the finest vintages I have tasted here. Drink from 2028 to 2040." 92-94/100 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (June 2021)
"Exuberant and confident, with powerful damson and black cherry fruit flavours on the nose. Chocolate and liquorice run through the palate from beginning to end, and this is full of signature St-Emilion glamour. It has a round and supple texture through the mid palate, but the alcohol hides some of the limestone nuance at this point - it will no doubt emerge more clearly with 8 to 10 years in bottle. Drink 2029 - 2044." 93/100 Points, Jane Anson, Decanter