Château Quinault l'Enclos

Vine cultivation in the southern part of Libourne dates back to the Gallo-Roman period. The name of the estate's first wine, Château Quinault l'Enclos, refers to the walled vineyard of the estate. Alain Raynaud bought the château, in the heart of the town of Libourne, in 1997, rescuing it from developers. In 2008 Bernard Arnault and Albert Frère (d. 2018), who already owned Château Cheval Blanc, bought Château Quinault through their Paris-based investment company, Raspail Investissement; at the time of the sale the estate was owned personally by the pair. At the sale, Raynaud said he did not have the financial means to take the château to the next level and have it classified: 'I have handed it over to those who do.' The acquisition was conceived as a project to revitalise Cheval Blanc, giving its team a new terrain as a space for freedom and experimentation; the two estates lie six kilometres apart.

• 1997: Alain Raynaud buys the estate.
• 2008: Bernard Arnault and Albert Frère buy the estate; the sale was signed on 4 September.
• 2009: a total restructuring and recomposition of the vineyard begins.
• 2012: the estate is classified Grand Cru Classé.

At the 2008 sale, Pierre-Olivier Clouet was named the new director of Quinault. Raynaud had served as president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux and founded the Cercle du Rive Droite, a Right Bank promotional group. As of October 2026, Château Quinault l'Enclos is presented among the wines of Château Cheval Blanc, alongside Château Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval and Cheval des Andes.

• Director from the 2008 sale: Pierre-Olivier Clouet.
• Alain Raynaud: owner from 1997 to 2008.
• As of October 2026: presented among the wines of Château Cheval Blanc.

The vineyards lie in the commune of Libourne alongside the meandering Dordogne River, six kilometres from Château Cheval Blanc. The 19-hectare domain is an urban vineyard within the Saint-Émilion appellation. Merlot (65%), Cabernet Sauvignon (21%) and Cabernet Franc (14%) are planted on gravel soils, and a small percentage of Malbec is to be introduced to the blend from 2024. A total restructuring and recomposition of the vineyard began in 2009.

• 19 hectares in the commune of Libourne, alongside the Dordogne.
• Plantings: 65% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc.
• Malbec: a small percentage to be introduced to the blend from 2024.
• Vineyard restructuring from 2009.

Château Quinault l'Enclos entered the official Saint-Émilion classification as a Grand Cru Classé in 2012, in an edition that named 18 Premiers Grands Crus Classés and 64 Grands Crus Classés, 82 properties in total. Following the example of Château Cheval Blanc, the estate did not apply for the 2022 classification.

• 2012 Saint-Émilion classification: Grand Cru Classé.
• 2022 Saint-Émilion classification: did not apply.

The estate's first wine is Château Quinault l'Enclos; in 2008 the château produced around 6,500 cases of it. From 2011 the wine was served as a premium wine at the Cheval Blanc table and, for the first time, tasted en primeur alongside Cheval Blanc. No Château Quinault l'Enclos was produced in 2013. Published blends for the 2011 to 2021 vintages range from 59% Merlot (2021) to 81% Merlot (2012).

• 2021: 59% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon.
• 2020: 78% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc.
• 2015: 69% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon.
• 2012: 81% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc.
• 2013: no Château Quinault l'Enclos produced.

Château Cheval Blanc describes the profile as 'deep and delicate with crafted, sumptuous and rounded tannins', and calls the wine 'open and expressive from an early age, even if the wine is produced for ageing.'

Primary sources (Château Cheval Blanc's site, which presents the estate): https://www.chateau-cheval-blanc.com/en/chateau-quinault-lenclos/, https://www.chateau-cheval-blanc.com/en/history/. Secondary sources: Decanter (Sophie Kevany, last updated 28 May 2015; Jane Anson, last updated 28 July 2019; obituary of Albert Frère, last updated 18 December 2019) and Wine Spectator (James Suckling, 5 September 2008). Last verified 2026-10-14. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.