2016 Quinault L`Enclos (St-Emilion)

The 2016 Quinault l`Enclos is a blend of 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 68% Merlot, continuing the team`s program of increasing the proportion of Cabernet, picked from 20 September and finishing on 7 October. It is matured in 50% new oak (500-liter barrels) and one-year-old barrels. It has a very pure bouquet with macerated black cherries, a touch of blueberry, a subtle flinty note just tucked underneath. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin on the entry. This feels very fresh and lively in the mouth, perhaps a little more compact than others I tasted, although that is probably because it had been taken from barrel less than an hour before my visit. It is very precise on the brisk, punctual graphite-tinged finish, an almost clinical Quinault l`Enclos that will benefit from five or six year aging in bottle. 91-93 points

A vintage forged in the extremes`, they say poetically here. This has an unforced, fresh style, with fairly closed dark fruits but riven throug h with finesse. A touch short, but pleasurable drinking. 90 points

This LVMH-owned Château, run by the Cheval Blanc team, is in a rich vein of form right now. Grassy, floral and very elegant, its 2016 is a subtle, nuanced wine with polished tannins and palate-cleansing acidity. Every bit as good as the 2015. Drink 2025-32. 94 points

The 2016 Quinault L`Enclos is soft, gentle and inviting. Succulent red cherry, plum, rose petal and spice accents give the wine a lovely sense of floral lift. The Cabernet Franc is quite expressive at this early stage. Silky tannins add to an overall impression of grace and finesse. 88-91 points