2017 Quinault L'Enclos

94 POINTS

James Suckling

This shows beauty and balance for the vintage with delicious crushed-berry and chocolate aromas and flavors. Medium to full body, creamy tannins and a flavorful finish. One of the best QEs in a long time. Drink after 2022.

91 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

This soft, ripe wine has generous black-fruit flavors and fine acidity. The palate is juicy, with dense fruit and chocolate tones framed by light tannins. There is a crisp, fresh finish, which gives the wine a fine lift.

91 POINTS

Jeb Dunnuck

From a pure gravel terroir in Saint-Emilion, the 2017 Quinault l'Enclos is mostly Merlot blended with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, all aging in 50% new barrels. This medium-bodied, elegant 2017 has terrific black cherry fruit, plenty of minerality and floral nuances, ripe, sweet tannin, and a great finish. It’s a fair step back from the blockbuster 2015 but should easily be an outstanding wine.

91 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

This is a success for an estate that has now seen ten years under the stewardship of Cheval Blanc, undergoing lots of replanting and reworking of the vineyards, as well as changing the way they work in the cellar. There was no frost here thanks to their proximity to the town of Libourne. The vines are on gravelly soils from the river bed, as on the Pomerol plateau, and the lack of water over the summer meant the Cabernet Sauvignon did better than the Cabernet Franc. There is still the slightest dip of savoury fruit, reflecting the vintage conditions, but this is coupled with a freshness and juiciness that I really like, alongside touches of florality and some clean redcurrant, raspberry and brambled fruits. The tannins are fine and the acidity is good without being sharp. Matured in 500l casks, 50% new, for 12 months. Drinking Window 2023 - 2036

90 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2017 Quinault l’Enclos has a slightly warmer microclimate than Cheval Blanc so it was not affected by frost at all. It is managed exactly like Cheval Blanc even though the terroir is different. It is the first vintage to be vinified in the new cellar equipped with 22 different sized vats and in recent years, more and more Cabernet Sauvignon has been planted due to its gravel soils. This is matured in 50% new oak and 50% used, including one 20-hectolitre foudre. It has a curiously Fronsac-like bouquet with broody dark berry fruit laced with warm gravel, becoming more Left Bank in style as it opens up. The palate is medium-bodied with lace-like tannin, very linear and conservative in style, quite saline in the mouth with a brisk, dried herb, perhaps even fennel-tinged finish. Give this three, maybe four years in bottle as I would like to see it develop a little more grace and personality.

90 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Wine Advocate

There was no frost here. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Quinault l'Enclos delivers expressive scents of mulberries, baked plums and boysenberries with hints of tar, licorice and chargrill. Medium-bodied, the palate has a solid structure of chewy tannins and lively acidity framing the elegant black fruit and savory layers, finishing on an earthy note. Drinking Window : 2020 - 2032

90 POINTS

Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

Licorice, coffee bean, espresso, cocoa and fresh kirsch form the core of the wine. Medium bodied and bright but still a bit oaky, there is enough fruit to bring it all together with three to five years in the bottle.

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2017 Quinault L'Enclos is soft, floral and silky - all qualities that make it an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years, maybe more. In 2017, Quinault is fruity and open-knit, with mid-weight structure. The slight vegetal notes that were present en primeur are not as evident today, but this remains a rather light Quinault in terms of weight, fruit pliancy and aromatic depth.