2004 Château Quinault l'Enclos

Red-ruby. Black cherry, mocha, iron, licorice and exotic spices on the nose. Juicy and bright, with a slight peppery quality lifting the middle palate. Not especially fleshy or sweet but spicy and aromatic. Finishes with dusty tannins and good verve. As always, this conveys a strong impression of soil character, although from the nose alone I'd be more likely to guess Pomerol than Saint-Emilion.

- Stephen Tanzer (05/2007)

Aromas of blackberry and black olive. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Solid but slightly one-dimensional now. Best after 2010. 5,750 cases made.

An elegant, pretty Quinault, the 2004 displays a dense ruby/purple color along with a big, rich nose of licorice, black raspberries, cherries, and spice. This blend of 71% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec possesses an excellent texture, beautiful elegance and complexity, and no hard edges. A seamlessly made, supple-textured, evolved, forward effort, it can be drunk now or cellared for 12-15 years. This is a very strong effort in a challenging vintage.

- Robert M. Parker, Jr. (06/2007)