Château Quintus
It is surprising just how few cross-river ventures there are in Bordeaux, how few left-bank proprietors have taken the plunge into St Emilion or Pomerol, or perhaps one of the more affordable right-bank backwaters. It is also surprising just how few of the right-bank greats have decided to try their hand on the left bank, perhaps in Moulis or the Médoc, where the combination of Merlot on clay or limestone dominates. This is especially so when we consider firstly how many fine but inadequately exploited terroirs there are in Bordeaux, in Castillon for example, and secondly just how many proprietors are keen to set up new ventures in distant lands such as Chile, Argentina or South Africa. This latter point seems true of a number of right-bank proprietors in particular, who it seems would rather spend their free time in Mendoza than the Médoc.
Without a doubt the model venture to be emulated in Bordeaux is that of Château Canon and Château Rauzan-Ségla, both owned by Chanel, and both lifted from the doldrums to enjoy considerable success under the direction of John Kolasa, at least until his retirement in 2015, when he was replaced by Nicolas Audebert. I suppose, although this is I guess understatement at its best, the combination of Château Lafite-Rothschild and Château L’Évangile might also be considered a success. Other cross-river ventures are successful on one side, but perhaps not so much the other. No one would deny that there is great quality coming out of Château Léoville-Las-Cases, but historically this was not matched by the wines from the corresponding Delon venture on the right bank. Château Nenin, perhaps hampered somewhat by its sandy soils on the edge of Catusseau, struggled to produce a wine even close to the quality of its left-bank cousin, although to be fair quality has risen considerably over the course of the last few vintages.
