Violets, new leather, plums, black cherries and menthol emerge from the glass in the 2013 Chateau Quintus. Vibrant and delineated in the glass, the 2013 impresses for its energy and nuance, both of which it has in spades. The style is soft and fruit-driven but there is excellent minerality and acidity as well lurking beneath. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.

The 2013 Château Quintus is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It has a fragrant bouquet, the Merlot expressive and offering crushed strawberry and cranberry aromas, just a touch of licorice in the background. While it is not an intense Saint Emilion, it is well defined and conveys a sense of charm. The palate is medium-bodied with a citrus-fresh opening, slightly chalky tannin, knitted together by a keen thread of acidity and an attractive, vibrant finish. This is a pleasurable, fresh and lively Saint Emilion to enjoy over the next 4-6 years.

(80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc): Medium red. Vinous aromas of floral red cherry, redcurrant and tobacco. The red cherry and berry flavors possess enough flesh and fat to buffer the wine's structure, but this wine is nonetheless tight as nails today owing to its impression of high acidity. Finishes juicy and persistent, with no easy sweetness. About 15% of L'Arrosée (the latest acquisition by Domaines Clarence Dillon, owners of Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion) went into Quintus (and another 15% into Le Dragon de Quintus, the second wine).

Tasted blind. Mid crimson/garnet. Not the freshest nose. But some density of fruit and some powdery tannins. Some attempt to make a good wine here rather than just giving up! (JR)

Tasted blind. Mid garnet. Sweet fruited and a little malty, mocha too. Rich in sweet fruit and there's sweet oak too. Rounded and not very long but harmonious now. Fresh and velvety. There was a suggestion that this bottle had a slight problem with TCA so a second was opened. It did seem marginally juicier and fresher but I think that was more to do with the slightly cooler temperature of the second bottle. (JH)