critic reviews
The 2020 Quintus has a wonderfully harmonious bouquet with black fruit, briar, a touch of wild mint and beautifully integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with silky tannins and a fine bead of acidity. It is perhaps modern in style, but even blind, this just oozes class and sophistication. Despite the high alcohol, this manages to pull it all off. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
The 2020 Quintus is one of the most successful renditions of this wine to date, offering up aromas of dark cherries, wild berries, sweet spices and licorice framed by nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, seamless and integrated, it's fleshy and layered, with powdery tannins, succulent acids and impressive overall balance despite its 15.4% alcohol. Indeed, while this is obviously a powerful, broad-shouldered Saint-Emilion, in terms of oak and extraction it's far from excessive. The blend is 62.5% Merlot with 37.5% Cabernet Franc.
Bottled in May 2022, the 2020 Quintus is deep garnet-purple colored. It bursts with flamboyant black cherry compote, blueberry preserves, and Christmas cake scents, leading to subtle suggestions of candied violets, crushed rocks, and camphor. Full-bodied, the palate explodes with energetic black and blue fruits, supported by beautifully plush tannins and an electric backbone of freshness, finishing long and fragrant.