I hunt down value wines with soul, the kind that tell stories, spark debates, and challenge your assumptions about what good and "affordable" can taste like. The deal: Hong Kong prices with free delivery in urban areas. Six-bottle minimum. Ready to explore? WhatsApp 852 66236746 or email cf.lau@dunndunn.hk - Kevin K Tang
(AI photo)
Today, I tasted three vintages of Quinault L'Enclos: 1999, 2014, and 2015. The 1999 (ABV 13%) reveals classic maturity with aromas of dried plum, leather, and a hint of earth, supported by silky tannins and a lingering savoury finish. The 2014 (ABV 13.5%) is fresher, showing bright red fruit, subtle floral notes, and gentle spice, with a lively acidity and approachable structure that makes it drinkable now. The 2015 (ABV 14.5%) stands out for its depth, ripe blackberry, violet, and chocolate accents, remarkable balance, and polished tannins, promising excellent ageing potential. Together, these wines highlight how Quinault L'Enclos combines Bordeaux heritage with innovation, each vintage expressing a different facet of its unique appeal and challenge.
I think Quinault L'Enclos is still not well known, partly because its French name is hard to pronounce and remember. This language barrier adds to its charm and helps explain why the wine is often overlooked, even though it deserves more attention.
Learning to say "kee-NO lehn-CLOH" makes it easier to talk about Quinault L'Enclos with others. Saying "Quinault" as "kee-NO" (with a soft 't') and "L'Enclos" as "lehn-CLOH" (with a nasal 'en' and silent 's') helps make the wine feel more approachable for everyone.
Quinault L'Enclos is hard to describe in a few words. Its subtle flavours reward careful drinkers, but might not appeal to those who prefer straightforward wines. This makes the estate both mysterious and harder to recognise. Being an underdog gives Quinault L'Enclos a special place among Bordeaux wines. Even though it is less famous, the quality of these vintages shows that its reputation does not match how good it really is. This is one of its main challenges.
Quinault L'Enclos's story shows how its name, subtle style, and overlooked quality all add to its mystery. For people willing to look deeper, exploring this wine can be challenging but also very rewarding.
Quinault L'Enclos has a subtle character, good value for money, and is not widely known, which makes it an underrated Bordeaux. The 1999 (91 points), 2014 (89 points), and 2015 (94 points) vintages all show this, with prices on Wine-Searcher usually between HK$310 and HK$620 per bottle, depending on the year and seller. Its consistent but mysterious style and tricky name show why it still struggles to get more attention, which ties back to its mystique and challenge.
Quinault L'Enclos stands out among its neighbours for its complexity and value. Château La Dominique and Château Canon-La-Gaffelière, its closest neighbours, are known for their modern, fruit-forward, and smooth Saint-Émilion style, which is similar to Quinault L'Enclos's friendly character. On the other hand, Château Figeac and Château Cheval Blanc make leaner, more structured wines with high Cabernet content, known for their freshness and ageing potential. Château La Gaffelière falls in between, offering classic balance and elegance. These differences show how Quinault L'Enclos has a unique style and remains an interesting, lesser-known choice in Bordeaux, which adds to its mystique and the challenge of gaining wider recognition.
Our prices are good. Quinault L'Enclos 1999 rare vintage is just @$470; 2014 @$335; and 2015 @$340. Stock limited.
I hunt down value wines with soul, the kind that tell stories, spark debates, and challenge your assumptions about what good and "affordable" can taste like. The deal: Hong Kong prices with free delivery in urban areas. Six-bottle minimum. Ready to explore? WhatsApp 852 66236746 or email cf.lau@dunndunn.hk - Kevin K Tang
I prefer Alain Chavy Bourgogne 2022 because it’s easy to enjoy, has good ageing potential, and comes from Puligny-Montrachet vineyards. Both wines are Chardonnay and cost about the same, but the real interest comes from comparing Bourgogne AOC and Chablis.
Chavy’s 2022 Bourgogne Blanc is made from vineyards close to Puligny-Montrachet and shows classic, mineral character, even though it doesn’t carry the Puligny name. It spends about 12 months in mostly used oak, which gives it a gentle structure without strong oak flavours. Critics like its precision and chalky minerality. You can drink it now or let it age for a few years, but it’s not easy to find.
Interestingly, Chavy’s Bourgogne tastes more like Chablis, with a mineral, tight, and restrained style. In contrast, Jadot’s Chablis is broader and fruitier, almost playful. The 2022 vintage adds extra freshness and energy to Chavy, while the riper 2024 vintage should make Jadot even more generous and easy to drink. Both are impressive in their own right: Chavy 2022 is 12.5% ABV (HK$350–430), and Jadot 2024 is 13% ABV (HK$310–470).
Critics say Jadot’s Chablis is reliable, riper, and easy to enjoy, but it has less minerality than classic Chablis. It’s a safe and pleasant choice, though not as unique.
These scores reflect my personal palate, with a preference for freshness and minerality: I give Chavy 2022 a 90 for its vibrancy and Puligny character, and Jadot 2024 an 89 for its ripe, easy-drinking style. The better value really depends on which Chardonnay style you like more—and other tasters may see it differently.
Who Buys What?
If you enjoy classic, mineral Chardonnay and want a Chablis-like style at a lower price, Chavy’s Bourgogne is a good choice. However, true Chablis, especially from Kimmeridgian soils, has a saltier minerality than any Bourgogne AOC. Chavy gets close, but the difference in terroir is real.
If you prefer riper, softer white wines (higher ABV, riper fruit, less oak) or are new to Chablis, you’ll probably enjoy Jadot.
Conclusion
Both wines offer good value. It really comes down to whether you like a more mineral, crisp style or a richer, easier-drinking one.
I hunt down value wines with soul, the kind that tell stories, spark debates, and challenge your assumptions about what good and "affordable" can taste like. The deal: Hong Kong prices with free delivery in urban areas. Six-bottle minimum. Ready to explore? WhatsApp 852 66236746 or email cf.lau@dunndunn.hk - Kevin K Tang
Malescot St. Exupéry is the playful charmer of Margaux—a wine that leaps out with juicy red fruit and pure, easy pleasure. While some crus show off their muscle, this one draws you in with its lively, inviting style and a wink of strawberry-chocolate delight. Tasted alongside its peers, Malescot stands out for approachability and balance, making every glass feel a little more joyful and just a little unexpected.
Well-structured and still complex by Cru standard, all bottles open with smoky cassis and new oak. Expect mocha, vanilla, white chocolates, and pure, ripe red and dark fruit. The core is bright, with well-integrated tannins. On the palate, the fruit turns more complex and darker, always round and bursting with strawberries, raspberries, and blackcurrants.
With suitable fruit length in quality Cru, all vintages are easy yet intense. They are tense yet balanced. All bottles suit all occasions. However, if you seek a brooding, labyrinthine Margaux, Malescot St. Exupéry may not be for you. If you want pleasure, precision, and an electric red-fruit signature, it is yours.
Stylistically clean, balanced, and unapologetically fruity. A modern wine sure of itself. This style is supported by the following technical details. Vinification and maturation are temperature-controlled and mostly in new oak, typically around 80% though it varies by vintage, making the wine bold and powerful. All vintages undergo malolactic fermentation in the barrel, depending on the vintage. They are aged on lees with stirring, adding intensity, complexity, and texture. The wine spends 13–14 months ageing in barrels before being racked without fining or filtration. This process gives its characteristic creaminess on the mid-palate. ABV is just right; almost all vintages are at 13.5%, making this medium-bodied wine easier to drink without losing intensity. All vintages are 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot. The varied grapes create greater complexity over time. The mineral finish comes from the soil: gravel overlying chalk or marl, sloping towards the Gironde. Fruit is picked into trays to prevent bruising and preserve freshness.
Each vintage has peculiarities of its own.
2011 is lean and slightly austere, but truly elegant in its restraint; patience is rewarded.
2013 is a vintage of quiet refinement. It is mid-weight, with gentle tannins, red cherry and violet aromatics, and a finish of surprising harmony. It is precisely this exotic, un-Left-Bank-like red fruit — so unlike the expected macho Margaux — that is the greatest paradoxical attraction of Malescot. Think Rowntree's Pastilles: ripe fruit condensed into vivid, jewel-bright flavours — blackcurrant, strawberry, cranberry, lemon. Each is distinct and singing. Pair it with Japanese strawberry chocolate, and you are in a different kind of heaven.
2015 Magnum is maturing with even more fruit, as most would say. It shows an abundance of plush, ripened blackcurrant and cherry fruit, with added depth and richness as it evolves in large format. The fruit is generous, mouth-filling, and layered, promising further complexity with time.
2017 is tightly wound, mineral-driven, with focused fruit and a dry finish—still finding its voice.
Across the shown vintages, one truth holds: Malescot St. Exupéry seduces with pleasure, not power or structure. Bright, condensed, pastille-pure red fruit surprises, then lingers. From the lean austerity of 2011 to the plush generosity of 2015, from the quiet refinement of 2013 to the mineral tension of 2017, each bottle is unmistakably itself and unmistakably Malescot. This Margaux asks not to be decoded—only enjoyed.
