Château Quinault l'Enclos 2021

The freshness and elegance of a Saint-Emilion wine

The estate

Château Quinault l’Enclos is located on the right bank of Bordeaux in the Saint-Émilion appellation. Belonging to the famous Premier Grand Cru Classé A of Saint-Émilion Château Cheval Blanc, the wines of Château Quinault I'Enclos benefit from the same care as those of Château Cheval Blanc.

The vineyard

Located near the Dordogne river, Château Quinault l'Enclos produces Saint-Emilion wines from 19 hectares of vines, situated in the heart of Libourne.

The vintage

The spring frost on April 7th and 8th preceded a significant amount of mildew resulting from the heavy rainfall recorded at the beginning of the growing season. This persistent humidity disrupted the flowering period, leading to significant run-off on the Merlot grapes. While the rise in temperature at the beginning of summer favoured significant and rapid vine growth, which was kept under control thanks to the rigour of the château's teams, the dry and sunny conditions at the end of the summer season were ideal for refining the ripeness of the grapes until the harvest.

Vinification and ageing

Vinification is carried out by the Château Cheval Blanc teams, using indigenous yeasts. Gentle extraction. A long maceration is accompanied by manual pumping over. Malolactic fermentation in vats. The wine is aged in tuns, demi-muids (600L) and 500L barrels (40% new and 60% one-year-old) for 12 months, with racking every 3 months.

The blend

Merlot (59%)

Cabernet Franc (23%)

Cabernet Sauvignon (18%).

Château Quinault l'Enclos 2021: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Nose

Expressive and elegant, the nose combines fruity (red fruit) and floral (violet) fragrances with a beautiful freshness.

Palate

Persistent and structured, the mouth is seduced by this wine's elegance, its fine tannins, its subtle acidity and its spicy notes.