LE DRAGON DE QUINTUS
Second wine from Château Quintus

The 2021 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (February 2024): 91/100 “To taste this wine at 9 in the morning and not be able to spit, that's the rarity. And then there's the voluptuous body and that distinctive aroma that I can't find anywhere else.”

Vinous (A. Galloni - December 2023): 90/100 “The 2021 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion is laced with crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, spice and pipe tobacco. La Chapelle is quite floral and delicate in 2021. Its understated personality is quite charming. Bright acids on the finish are a reminder of the cool, rainy growing season.”

The 2020 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N.Martin - November 2024): 92/100 “The 2020 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion is very controlled and more backward on the nose compared to its peers, featuring blackberry, raspberry, damp earth and light black olive aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm but fine tannins. There is a strong marine influence here with a dab of licorice on the finish. this needs time to find its groove, but it will. ”

The 2016 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (December 2022): 93/100 “Particularly caressing palate, bursting with fruit and melting between the middle and the finish. Very fine-grained persistence. Remarkable.”

Vinous (N. Martin - January 2020): 91/100 “The 2016 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion has a richer, denser bouquet than the 2016 Haut Bailly, offering more upfront black fruit laced with seaweed and briny notes. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit, a fine bead of acidity, hints of black olive and sage and quite a complex, engaging finish. Very fine, though it just lacks the peristence of its peers".

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The 2022 vintage in the press:

Vinous (A. Galloni - January 2025): 93/100 "The 2022 Clarence de Haut-Brion is a fabulous second wine. Broad and explosive on the palate, with tremendous depth, the 2022 is a total stunner. Dark-toned fruit, leather, spice, menthol and espresso are all dialed up to the maximum. Rich, ample and inviting, The Clarence is positively stellar. What a vivid and deeply satisfying wine it is. All this lacks is a bit of structure on the finish, but then again, this is 2022."

J-M Quarin (February 2025): 94/100 "Dark, intense and beautiful colour. Very aromatic nose, fine, with ripe fruit, smelling of the smoky aromas of Haut Brion. It takes on a fatter appearance when the glass is shaken. A captivating wine. Delicate on the palate, rich in the middle, very tasty, the wine develops at once full-bodied, structured and highly aromatic, without ever losing its balance. Beautiful persistence, with tannins that are present but fine-grained and, in fact, always fragrant. It's the only wine I know like this."

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The 2020 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2025): 94/100 “Clarence emphasizes tension, freshness, with a noble smoky character that asserts itself over the wine's length.”

Vinous (N.Martin - January 2024): 93+/100 “The 2020 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion has a very finely delineated, concentrated and generous bouquet with layers of red and black fruit, pressed violets and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with silky tannins, very poised and pure, with an almost Burgundian allure toward the finish. This should age beautifully in bottle.”

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The 2019 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - January 2023): 90/100 “The 2019 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion has a slightly subdued nose compared to its peers and needs coaxing from the glass. Earthy red fruit, and touches of tobacco. The palate is well balanced with pliant tannins, crisp red fruit mixed with balsamic and white peppers, just a tad short on the finish".

J-M Quarin (March 2022): 94/100 “It caresses the palate, juicy and suave, with deep aromas, towards a long, sappy, perfumed finish. It's superb.”

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The 2018 vintage in the press:

Vinous (A. Galloni - March 2021): 93/100 “The 2018 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion has really come out of its shell. Bold, juicy and super-expressive, Le Clarence is so polished and sophisticated. Dried herbs, cedar, tobacco, licorice and coffee lift out of the glass. Medium in body and wonderfully persistent, the Clarence is a real beauty.”

Vinous (N. Martin - January 2021): 92/100 “The 2018 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, which impressed from barrel, has a gorgeous, sensual bouquet of showy black fruit, potpourri and incense, almost Saint-Émilion in style and very well defined. The focused, poised palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, very good tension and splendid weight on the finish. It ranks as one of the best Second Wines of Haut-Brion that I have tasted. Not to be underestimated."

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The 2016 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - January 2020): 92/100 “The 2016 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion has an impressive bouquet of vibrant red berry fruit, rose petal and loamy aromas and impressively assimilated oak. The medium-bodied palate offers supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Crisp and focused, with a complex finish full of tension and terroir expression. This is another superb Pessac-Léognan.”

The 2021 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2025): 95/100 “La Mission has produced a 2021 of the highest order, retaining all the intensity and distinction of the vintage, [...] Ample and pure, the fruit is reminiscent of cherry, [...] The body is complete, ample, almost velvety in a vintage for which this is certainly not the primary characteristic. The tannic length, well present, straight, full-bodied, is the guarantee of a long and fruitful evolution”.

J-M Quarin (February 2024): 96/100 “Ample on the attack, accompanied by a meticulous texture throughout the stimulation, halfway between the right bank and the left bank, the wine perfumes the palate before becoming powerful on the finish, while retaining its measured tannic support. It's unputdownable and tasty”.

Vinous (N. Martin - November 2023): 93/100 “The 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion has a very cohesive bouquet, well-defined with minerally red and black fruit, hints of white flowers and a distant tang of black olive. The almost "estuarine" element becomes more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite fresh though not a complex or deep La Mission. It is lifted by the salinity and sustain on the finish-also its typicité. Whilst not a wine from the top drawer, it is a fascinating, engaging Pessac that will drink over the next 20 or 30 years.”

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The 2017 vintage in the press:

Vinous (A. Galloni - December 2019): 96/100 "A positively stunning wine, the 2017 La Mission Haut-Brion is all class. Sweet floral notes give the 2017 striking freshness, nuance and energy. Rose petal, mint, blood orange, red cherry, pomegranate and mocha are all laced together. In 2017, La Mission plays very much in the red fruit and floral end oh the spectrum. Effortless, gracious and wonderfully nuanced, the 2017 simply has it all. What a wine!"

J-M Quarin (February 2020): 95/100 “Decanting gives it a sweeter note reminiscent of raspberry. On the palate, this sweetness is reflected in a very delicate stimulation where everything caresses and melts, leaving plenty of room for the aroma. This sensation is reminiscent of tasting great red Burgundies. The finish is subtle and ravishing."

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The 2016, which Mr. Galloni compares to the glorious and historic 1955 and 1989.

The 2016 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - December 2018): 99/100 "The 2016 La Mission Haut-Brion was stunning from barrel, and now in bottle. It has a sublime bouquet of blackberries, briar and hints of dark chocolate and rose petals that gain intensity with aeration while maintaining ethereal delineation. It never steps on the accelerator too hard. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is still a veneer of new oak that will need to be assimilated over the coming years. This is a deep La Mission that caresses the mouth. Touches og graphite lingering on a finish that fans out gloriously. Is the 2016 up there with the 1955 or 1989? Nearly."

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The 2015 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2025): 96/100 "The 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion has a supremely gifted bouquet with vigorous blackberry, pencil box and cedar scents that seem to have moved little since I last tasted it in 2019/ The palate is medium-bodied, very ripe and actually much toastier than I remembered. This has a pliant tannins and the savory element I picked up on before is now accentuated."

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The 2022 vintage in the press:

Vinous (A. Galloni - January 2025): 98+/100 "The 2022 Haut-Brion is powerful and explosive. At the same time, it is incredibly reticent. None of that should be of concern for readers who can wait. Black-toned fruit, gravel, incense, scorched earth and licorice all stain the palate, framed by impenetrable, imposing tannins. A vertical, explosive wine, the 2022 is going to need a number of years to be at its best. I suspect it will be magnificent in many years time. The Haut-Brion softens with a bit of time in the glass, but it remains very much a blockbuster."

J-M Quarin (February 2025): 99/100 "Deep, dark colour. Intense, fine, fruity, smoky nose, rarely seen so young. When swirled, it takes on a touch of black fruit, hearth in the fireplace and a hint of resin. A superb wine!  Ample on the attack, complex on the mid-palate, with plenty of flavour and a fine fatness running across the palate, the wine evolves very slowly over a tight structure, towards a powerful, deep finish.It's particularly good, with a unique aromatic profile and punch for a Pessac Léognan."

The 2021 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2025): 97/100 “Haut-Brion established itself during the en primeur tastings as one of the wines of the 2021 vintage. Today, in bottle, it is widening the gap [...] It's a complete wine, showing a kind of obvious élan, long but full, tight, with an obvious breed”.

The Wine Advocate (March 2024): 97/100 “Haut-Brion 2021 confirms its fine performance in the primeur competition and asserts itself as one of the wines of the vintage. It is complex, full-bodied, deep and velvety, with soft tannins and lively acids, and finishes with a long, penetrating finish. It will delight Bordeaux purists."

Vinous (N. Martin - November 2023): 95/100 “The 2021 Haut-Brion has a very pure bouqet, quite complex with a mixture of blueberry and black cherry fruit, iris flower and violet, hints of sea spray in the background. This is more engaging than the 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, good fruit concentration considering the vintage, commendable salinity and harmonious, sapid finish that is classic in style. I suspect this mays well close down for a period of time before re-opening. Excellent.”

The 2019 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - April 2022): 99+/100 “The 2019 Haut-Brion has an ethereal degree of transparency on the nose, perhaps the most delineated of all the 2019s, fabulous precision and detail considering the growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with fine bone tannins, unerring symmetry and poise. Cohesive from start to finish with an extraordinarily persistent and compelling closing. off the charts.”

J-M Quarin (March 2022): 96/100 “Delicate on the entry, particularly aromatic in the middle, juicy, complex and very tasty, the wine tightens delicately on the finish. It finishes powerful and noble, with lots of aroma.”

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The 2018 vintage in the press:

En Magnum (April 2021): 100/100 “When it was tasted en primeur, I had been very impressed by this haut-brion. I remember finding it extremely complete. In bottle, I find this incredible side that sums up everything I love in a great Bordeaux. The caress, the velvety texture, the nobility of texture and tannins, and this great personality that is absolutely unique. [...] Beauty, fullness, velvety concentration, at once the style of the greatest of Pomerol and that of the greatest of the Médoc, always with the terroir and personality of the cru.”

La Revue du Vin de France (September 2021): 99/100 “Mellow, the wine's flesh remains paradoxically taut, tight, and finishes its parade on the palate with an impression of lanky grace. The evolutionary potential of this great vintage is enormous”.

J-M Quarin (November 2021): 98/100 “Shaking the glass brings out the raspberry and refined nuances. Mellow on the entry, full and yet melting in the middle, with a crazy aromatic power towards the finish and lots of taste, the wine finishes particularly long, on a magnificent grain of tannin.”

Vinous (A. Galloni - March 2021): 97/100 "The 2018 Haut-Bion is an infant, but its balance and potential are both amply evident. Rich and deep in the glass, the 2018 opens to reveal tremendous complexity and nuance, qualities that only grow with time. The 2018 is not a huge Haut-Brion, nor is it massively endowed, but it is so elegant and classy. I loved it."

The 2017 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (January 2022): 97/100 “The whole is a pure delight. Noble aromas flow over a very refined, savory texture, with no power effect, no fragility, all distinguished support. A long, fresh finish”.

Vinous (N. Martin - December 2018): 96+/100 "The 2017 Haut-Brion is rich and virile, even in a vintage where it has less power than is the norm. My impression is that the 2017 is going to lie dormant for many years nefpre it awakens, but its pedigree is quite obvious. Black cherry, plum, gravel, smoke, licorice and dark spice all burst out of the glass. The 2017 is a powerful, vertical Haut-Brion endowed with a real feeling of gravitas and somber intensity. The long, substantial finish suggests readers can look forward to many years of fine drinking."

The 2016 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (December 2022): 100/100 “Ultra-refined on the entry, particularly melting all the way through, complex in the middle, tasty, juicy, fresh, but also powerful, the wine keeps gliding across the palate, refined, fat, noble, in an immense sappy length. Oh, how good it is!"

Vinous (N. Martin - December 2018): 100/100 "The 2016 Haut-Brion is quite possibly even more magnificent from bottle than it was from barrel. Powerful and rich, yet not at all heavy, the 2016 is a wine of nearly indescribable beauty. Haut-Brion is often a thrilling wine, but it is rarely this finessed in its youth. Gravel, cure meat, tobacco, and cedar are some of the many nuances that develop with air, but it is an extraordinary sense of harmony that really stands out. What a wine!"

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The 2012 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - May 2021): 95/100 "The 2012 Haut-Brion isbeginning to flex its muscles. The bouquet is perhaps one of the most backward of the five First Growths, The Merlot firmly in the light sous-bois scents percolate through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, very good weight, plummy and lighlty spiced with plenty of weight on the slightly meaty finish. This is an excellent Haut-Brion, but it needs bottle age."

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The 2009 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (November 2017): 100/100 “Fresh oak nuance. Soft on the attack and particularly suave on development, very rich on the mid-palate, yet melting, with a very airy and refined yet solid texture, the wine soars on the finish, complex, long, powerful and very deep. This second and even third part of the palate is fabulous. A great, precise and noble wine. The perfect expression of Haut-Brion."

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2019): 97/100 "The 2009 Haut-Brion has a less precocious but more detailed bouquet, more nuanced perhaps with warm slates baking in the summer sun, tilled loam and cedar infusing the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, perfect acidity, layers of mineral-rich black fruit. This seems to have gained more complexity in recent years and is beginning to flirt with perfection. It's not there yet, but it is moving in that direction." 

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The 2007 vintage in the press:

Vinous (S. Tanzer - July 2010): 94/100 "Bright ruby-red. Pure but youthfully inexpressive nose hints at raspberry and tobacco after extented aeration. Sweet, suave and pliant, with a silky texture perked up by minerality and lifted by a spicy component. Really lovely consistent ripeness here, showing neighter roasted nor green qualities. Took on a more floral character with air. This superbly elegant wine really saturates the palate and lingers. Tannins are fine and sweet."

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The 2006 vintage in the press:

Vinous (S. Tanzer - May 2009): 95/100 "Medium ruby-red. Inviting aromas of plum, warm stones, red licorice and menthol. Suave, gentle and elegantly styled; distinctly sweeter and lusher today than the La Mission, with even more mid-palate depth. Showing more red fruits today as well, with pungent minerality giving the wine lift and juiciness. Finishes with suave but substantial building tannins. Last year this wine was showing its spine while La Mission was more opulent; in bottle it's the other way around."

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The 2005 vintage in the press:

Vinous (A. Galloni - October 2015): 100/100 "One of my wines of the night, the 2005 Haut-Brion is stratospheric. Remarkably vivid and nuanced, the 2005 present a cmpelling mélange of dark flavors laced with the savory/mineral notes that are so typical of Haut-Brion. The 2005 is a thrill to follow in the glass, as it continully reveals new shades of its personality, something I consider a common attribute among all of the world's truly great wines. The dense, explosive finish points to a very bright future. Readers who own the 2005 should be thrilled, as it is truly maginificient."

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The 2003 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - August 2023): 90/100 "The 2003 Haut-Brion has a decadent bouquet with a payload of glossy black fruit. There's some warmth of alcohol here and just a touch of Brettanomyces. Yes, thre is an element of the Northern Rhône. The palate has a sweet core of black fruit, plush with silky tannins and layers of blueberry and blackberry with an aniseed-tinged finish. It is a sensual wine, but at the end of the day, it does lack a bite of tension and pedigree."

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The 2002 vintage in the press:

Vinous (S. Tanzer - May 2005): 92+/100 "Good ruby-red. Redcurrant, plum, tobacco and flowers on the nose. Suave and light on its feet, with excellent integrated acidity framing and extending the flavors. Classy and classic wine, finishing with a ripe, building tannins. This would be perfect with a cigar. Today Delmas and Masclet prefer this 2002 to te 2001 Haut-Brion, but for La Mission they give the edge to the 2001."

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The 2022 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (February 2025): 91/100 "Dark, intense, slightly evolved colour. Very fine nose with pure, fresh fruit. Fat on the attack and immediately very fruity, the wine glides across the palate leaving a fine fatness on the tongue and a blackberry flavour on the finish. Very good."

The 2021 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (April 2022): 90/100 “Deep, dark purple color. Intense nose of fresh, ripe fruit. Fascinating mouthfeel with a nuance of blackberry jelly that enlivens the palate. Juicy, noble and fine. The finish is long and unputdownable. A delight!"

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The 2020 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (February 2024): 92/100 “Dark color. Superb, suave, fresh, ripe and subtle nose, on a par with Quintus. A touch of vanilla. Meticulous on entry, juicy in the middle, with class in the touch, the wine melts in the finish, long, sappy and unputdownable.”

Vinous (N.Martin - November 2024): 92/100 “The 2020 Le Dragon de Quintus has a perfumed nose with cedar-scented red berry fruit, forest floor and tobacco aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannins. It is nicely balanced and elegant in style, with a brisk, peppery finish that has the sapidity to tempt you back.”

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The 2018 vintage in the press:

Jean-Marc Quarin (February 2024): 90/100 “Dark, lively color. Nose of medium intensity, fruity and spicy. Suave on the palate, with a melting, caressing body and nuanced sensations. Normal length, with coated tannins. Very pleasing overall for its savory aspect.”

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The 2022 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (February 2025): 97/100 "Dark, intense purple colour. Very aromatic nose, fine, pure, fruity and slightly smoky. Fleshy on the palate, silky to the touch and rich in aromas, the wine evolves juicy, melting, with an elegant touch. After the mid-palate, it grows, fleshes out and goes on to have a long, sappy persistence, never marked by tannin. The estate's densest and most refined vintage, with 41.5% Cabernet Franc."

The 2021 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (April 2022): 95/100 “Dark, deep, crimson and lively color. Intense, fine, fruity, pure, subtle and floral nose. Minutious on entry, particularly aromatic in the middle, complex and deep, with class in the touch, the wine gains power between the middle and the finish. It finishes long, suave, sappy and delicious. This is the most accomplished expression I know of in Quintus at this age”.

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The 2020 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (February 2024): 96/100 “Dark, intense and beautiful color. More discreet nose than Dragon, with ripe, fresh fruit. Minutious on entry, much fuller in the middle, with fat and a melting body, this wine settles slowly on the palate. Particularly tasty, it returns fresh nuances in the persistence. It's very hard to spit out."

Vinous (N.Martin - November 2024): 94/100 “The 2020 Quintus has a wonderfully hatmonious 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 is just oozes class and sophisticiation. Despite the high alcohol, this manages to pull it all off.”

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The 2016 vintage in the press:

Vinous (Neal Martin - August 2020): 94/100 “The 2016 Quintus has a very noble bouquet with beautifully defined blackberry and briary fruit, wonderfully integrated oak and a genuine sense of focus and poise. This is a beautifully crafted Saint-Émilion and one of the best releases of Quintus to date.”

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The 2014 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2024): 91+/100 “The 2014 Quintus is very youthful on the nose, with vibrant, almost Medoc-like scents of stalky red fruit, cedar, smoke and a hint of pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied, with supple, fine tannins, again in the Left Bank style, with a slight grip on the finish. This wine could actually benefit from a few more months in bottle.”