Chateau Quintus Grand Cru Saint-Émilion
Formerly known as Château Tertre Daugay, Château Quintus is Classified Growth (Grand Cru) in Saint-Émilion. Is it owned by Domaine Clarence Dillon (purchased in 2011) who also own Ch. Haut-Brion and Ch. La Mission Haut-Brion.
From the Château… ‘Château Quintus is located at the south-western end of the Saint-Emilion plateau. Surrounded by some of the most eminent estates in Saint-Emilion, the property boasts some of the finest land and exposures in the region. The originality of this extraordinary terroir lies in its diversity of soils, slopes and orientations. Made up of 28 hectares of vines that have today attained an optimum average age of 30 years, the estate naturally wraps itself around a high natural promontory and also offers 360o breath-taking views across to the village of Saint-Emilion and over the entire Dordogne valley.’
The vines of Château Quintus extend over a remarkable landscape. The form of the land itself is characterised by a stratum of limestone that lies in criss-cross shelves across the south-facing slopes of the plateau. The limestone to the north of the property is replaced by a varied mixture of clayey sands and gravels, dipping towards the south.
Merlot represents 66% of the surface in production and the rest, 26% is planted with Cabernet Franc and 8% with Cabernet Sauvignon.
"One of the firmest, most structured Quintus with lots of beautiful fruit and powerful tannins. It’s a very classically structured red with blackberry and blueberry character. Lavender and spice underneath. Extremely intense. 55% merlot and 45% cabernet."
96-97 Points, JamesSuckling.com
"One of highest levels of Cabernet Franc since Haut-Brion arrived at the estate, and it makes its mark in all the right places. A gorgeous sculpted feel, with grip and personality, charcoal slate character, minerality and sappy fruit. White pepper spice, austerity and grip, very much a sign of how good this grape can be in St Emilion. Harvest 19 September through to 27 September for Marlot, then break until October 7 to 9 for Cabernet Franc.
Drinking Window 2028 - 2044"
95 Points, Decanter
St.-Émilion is the star of Bordeaux’s Right Bank, north of the Dordogne River. The rich red wines produced in St.-Émilion, based on Merlot and Cabernet Franc, are less tannic and generally more fruit-driven in flavour than the Cabernet-based wines of Left Bank. Merlot thrives on the plateaus high above the Dordogne, where the soil is filled with sand and clay, a perfect medium for creating opulent, fruit-forward wines. With a typically savoury character, St.-Émilion wines are sometimes called the “Burgundies of Bordeaux.” These refined reds, with loads of finesse, are elegant companions to beef, chicken, pork and duck.
The wines of St.-Émilion were not included in the famous 1855 classification of Bordeaux, which ranked wines of the Left Bank. In 1955, St.-Émilion published its own classification, based on soil analysis, wine quality and reputation of the properties. Unlike the 1855 classification, St.-Emilion’s system requires properties to continuously prove themselves. The list is revised regularly, most recently in 2012. There are two tiers within the classification, Premier Grand Cru Classé and Grand Cru Classé. There are currently just 18 Premier Grand Cru properties and 64 Grand Cru Classé properties.
The St.-Émilion appellation is home to hundreds of individual producers, enhancing the variety of wines made there. Many of the properties remain small, family-run enterprises, unlike the large châteaux of the Left Bank. The area is also the base of France’s controversial micro-châteaux or garagiste wine movement; these innovative winemakers operate outside the traditional classification system, making very high quality (and very expensive) highly extracted wines.
