2025 Château Quintus

The 2025 Quintus, picked September 8 to 22, has the most opulent bouquet from Domaine Clarence Dillon, with lavish black cherries, cassis and blood orange scents, and a big bunch of violets developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte, smooth tannins. A little lower in acidity, yet it maintains balance and comes armed with a seductive, dark chocolate-tinged finish that is a bit of a guilty pleasure. Very luxuriant. 
- Neal Martin (05/2026)

A beautiful expression of fruit with focus and great definition. A tight balance between the chalky tannins, linear acidity and fruit. 73.2% merlot and 26.8% cabernet franc. 
- Jacobo García Andrade (04/2026)

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2025 Quintus comes barreling out with exuberant notes of juicy plums, crushed black cherries, and licorice, giving way to hints of pencil shavings and lilacs. The medium- to full-bodied palate delivers a nice crisp backbone and fine-grained tannins with layers of black fruit and earthy nuances, finishing long and lifted. The blend is 73.2% Merlot and 26.8% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 14%. It is aging in French oak barrels, 40% new. (04/2026)

The 2025 Quintus, a blend of 73.2% Merlot and 26.8% Cabernet Franc (39.5% new oak), reveals a dark, somewhat brooding bouquet of dark wild berries, blackberry, cassis and spice, with a more noticeable oak imprint at this stage. Medium- to full-bodied, layered, dense and concentrated, it’s structured and framed by youthful tannins and concludes with a spicy, lead pencil–inflected finish that underscores its somber character. It will need to gain in flesh and integration with élevage to achieve greater balance.  
- Yohan Castaing (04/2026)