Château Quintus

Château Quintus sits on a limestone promontory in Saint-Émilion, perched at 62 meters above the Dordogne valley. The estate was born in 2011 when Domaine Clarence Dillon acquired what was once Château Tertre Daugay, a property with centuries of history. The name Quintus comes from the Gallo-Romans who founded these vineyards, they called their fifth child Quintus. It's also the fifth property for the Dillon family, joining Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion. In 2013, they added Château L'Arrosée, then another plot in 2021. Today the estate spans 45 hectares.

The terroir here is special. The property wraps around a high point on the plateau with slopes facing all four cardinal directions. You get clay and limestone soils, some with starfish fossils embedded in the bedrock. The diversity is remarkable, each slope brings something different to the blend. The vines average 30 years old, though some parcels push close to 100 years. It's planted to 67% Merlot and 33% Cabernet Franc, the Cabernet Sauvignon was removed to focus on these two varieties.

The Team Behind the Wine

Jean-Philippe Delmas leads the winemaking, bringing the same expertise he applies at Haut-Brion. But the heart of Quintus is Mariette Veyssière, the estate manager. She represents the fifth generation of her family working in Saint-Émilion wine. She trained at Pétrus, Latour, and California before joining Quintus in 2013. Her approach is about precision, understanding each parcel, each slope, each micro-climate. Claude Diligeart, the cellar master, has worked these vineyards for over 30 years, he knows the land intimately.

The philosophy is simple: respect the terroir, don't force it. They practice reasoned viticulture, helping the vines without interfering too much. Harvest is manual with rigorous selection within each plot. They vinify in a mix of stainless steel and wood vats, using gentle extraction. The wine ages in 35-40% new French oak for 12-18 months. The 2016 vintage marked a turning point, when the Quintus style really emerged.

The Wines

Château Quintus is the grand vin, a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru that blends Merlot and Cabernet Franc in varying proportions depending on the year. The wine shows finesse, elegance, and minerality, the hallmarks of great limestone terroir. It's fresh and balanced, with fine tannins that build beautifully. Le Dragon de Quintus is the second wine, named for the bronze dragon statue that guards the property from its promontory. There's also Saint-Émilion de Quintus, a third wine launched in 2014, mostly sold to restaurants. The bottles themselves are special, modeled after an ancient Haut-Brion bottle discovered in a pirate's lair, with a raised seal engraved in the glass.