Winemaker Notes
Beautiful, dark, garnet-red color. The nose is rather closed at this time. However, after a few minutes in the glass it opens up to reveal a rich, complex bouquet of red and black fruit reflecting grapes picked at just the right moment. 2015 Quintus is smooth, even creamy, on the palate, with a tight-knit tannic structure. This tannin is immediately perceptible, but in no way aggressive. The middle palate is full-bodied, and the finish is delicious and fairly long. This powerful, tasty wine is also very elegant.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Such a beautiful and complex nose of rose petals, dark fruit and sandalwood. Full-bodied, juicy and flavorful. A precise linear edge to this runs through the wine. Very fine tannins. Yet this is so powerful. Love it. Drink in 2022 and forward.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Quintus has a medium to deep garnet-purple hue, opening with aromas of baked cherries, warm red currants and crushed black plums with touches of cigar box, violets and dark chocolate. Medium-bodied, it sports very finely-grained, plush tannins and remains seamlessly refreshing and elegant in the mouth with a seductively nuanced flavor profile, culminating with wonderful length and depth.
Rating: 94+ -
Wine Spectator
Rich and concentrated, with a wave of ganache out front, followed by warmed plum, fig and blackberry confiture flavors. Shows hints of loam and chalk through the finish, with good integration. Best from 2020 through 2030.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.