Château Quintus 2022

Rich, bold and muscular, supple and generous. Sleek with well-defined edges to the ripe blackcurrant and cherry fruit—lively and bright, balanced acidity with some salty minerality. You can feel the concentration in the depth and intensity of the fruit, yet it has definition and such purity. Really well crafted, on the stronger side; you sense a bit more of the hot vintage here with a slightly narrow finish and spice throughout. Lovely mouth-filling texture, lots of complexity, nuance and power. This will have fans. pH 3.7.

This is so floral and aromatic, with intense flowers, potpourri and dark fruits as well as raspberries. Medium- to full-bodied, it has really tight, precise and fine-textured tannins that run the length of the wine. Crunchy and bright. Nice acidity. Best after 2029.

The 2022 Quintus has an intense, powerful bouquet with blackberry, raspberry and floral, violet scents that retains delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine tannins, quite tensile from start to finish with just the right amount of bitterness and sapidity on the finish. Curiously, not a popular wine amongst fellow tasters, but I can see its long-term potential. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.

The best wine produced at Quintus yet pops with just a sniff of its perfume before you get to the palate, which is the star of the show. Silky, elegant, and sensuous. There is a beauty in the purity and the refinement here that stand out. The mineral-driven finish is perfect with its blend of ripe fruits and minerality that lingers! The wine blends 58% Merlot, with 42% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2045.

Rich and luscious in feel, with intense, bright berry fruits set against fennel, anise, and bitter dark chocolate. The alcohol brings some heat on the finish, and this is fully charged, but the slatey, chalky edge to the tannins is inviting, and there is clear complexity here. 38% new oak. No outside consultant. pH 3.7, 38% of production in the first wine. 42ha in production since the addition of Grand Pontet in 2021. Audrey Bernard joined the technical team in March 2021 directly from Opus One, along with new director Mariette Veyssiere.

A gentle, creamy, inviting nose, blending redcurrant aromas with a hint of Aleppo pepper. An unusual and addictive expression, all in finesse. On the palate, vibrant, spicy, powerful intensity, with darker fruit than on the nose. It caresses the palate like Mediterranean waves before a chalky finish brings you back down to earth. A unique Saint-Émilion, full of character, that deserves lingering over.

Dark, intense, purplish color. A highly aromatic nose, refined, pure, fruity, and slightly smoky. Full-bodied on entry, silky in texture and rich in aromas, the wine develops with juicy, melting notes and an elegant mouthfeel. After mid-palate, it gains in volume, builds up, and carries far into a sapid, lingering finish, never marked by tannin. The estate’s densest and most refined vintage, with 41.5% Cabernet Franc.