The flagship 2018 Château Quintus is on another level, offering a gorgeous nose of black raspberries, cassis, spicy oak, chocolate, graphite, and camphor. It has plenty of background oak, yet the texture is brilliant, it's full-bodied, has no hard edges, and delivers just a wonderful sense of purity and elegance. It's the finest vintage to date for this estate. Give bottles 3-4 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

Barrel sample. This wine has a deep purple-black hue and it combines the elegance of 2016 and gourmandise of 2015. It's splendidly aromatic with blueberry, spice and violet notes; the fruit bright and distinct. Concentrated and intense on the palate, the tannins are finely woven, offering a texture that is velvety and smooth, alongside well integrated oak. There is great precision and length. Produced from a yield of 41.1hl/ha.

The deep, meaty and earthy nose pulls you into this concentrated and beautifully balanced St.-Emilion. Stunning interplay of fine and graceful tannins with restrained richness. Very long, fresh and light-footed finish. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.

Flowers, spice, licorice and ripe, red fruits are all over the place. The wine somehow manages to balance elegance with high alcohol as this does perfectly. Sweet, long and intense, with a beautiful purity to all the red fruits, the finish lingers, expands and frankly, just feels great on your palate. The wine was made using 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, 15.2 ABV. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=2018+Quintus+

(94+ points) A blend of 72.3% Merlot and 27.7% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Quintus is deep garnet-purple in color, bursting from the glass with rambunctious scents of stewed black plums, boysenberries, dried mulberries and Christmas pudding, plus suggestions of sandalwood, cinnamon stick, potpourri and oolong tea. Full-bodied, rich and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, it counters all that fruit with alluring exotic spice and floral accents, supported by plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and fragrant. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2018 Quintus has gained more exuberance and intensity on the nose since its showing in barrel, offering flamboyant black fruit, blueberry, crushed violet petals and potpourri, all very well defined. A light menthol scent emerges with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp black fruit, tobacco and light cedar aromas. Like the Second Wine, this has emerged with a Left Bank–inspired personality, lightly spiced on the precise, quite minerally finish. Excellent. -- Neal Martin

Plum, black cherry and cassis notes are seamlessly layered, while a bright mineral streak races underneath them. Finish pulls in subtle floral details while the fruit and minerality meld together. Nice length too. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2032. – JM