CLOS L'ÉGLISE
2012 Pomerol
Menthol and plum on the palate, very chewy tannic feel, heavy body. Quite punishing structure at present, perhaps without the flavour interest to give this the longevity it seems to need. Medicinal flavours dominate the aftertaste. Drinking range: 2022 - 2037 Rating: 16.5 Richard Hemming MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2018)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The nose is perfumed lovely spring violets under which there is a mix of black cherry and cassis. Sweet fruit shows on the start of the palate but the mid palate and finish are fresher with more cherry and bramble. 2016-26 Rating: 87-89 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (Dec 2013)
The Grand Vin was picked from 26th until 28th September, including 15% Cabernet Franc. It has a tightly wound bouquet that requires patience, opening with aeration to reveal marine-tinged red and black fruit, with subtle floral notes. The oak is very well integrated here. The palate is medium-bodied with a succulent entry, plenty of sweet red fleshy fruit laced with white pepper and a touch of spice on the finish. There is good substance here with fine grip on the finish. This will have long-term potential. Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2013)
The 2012 possesses a creamy texture along with a big, sweet bouquet of mulberry and black cherry fruit judiciously touched by smoky oak, graphite and forest floor notes. Round and generously endowed with a dense plum/purple color, fragrant aromatics, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and silky tannins, it should age effortlessly for 12-15 years. Proprietor Helene Garcin-Leveque has fashioned another gorgeous wine from her 15-acre vineyard planted with 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. She also does a terrific job at her Pessac-Leognan estates of Haut-Bergey and Branon in addition to the St.-Emilion estate of Barde-Haut. This property has been on a qualitative hot streak since the late 1990s. 2013 - 2028 Rating: 91-94 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Apr 2013)
Deep dark cherry. Dusty black fruit. Just ripe in fruit, tannins dryish but not tough. OK. 2016 - 2021. Rating: 15.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2013)
Rating: 88 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2013)
Ripe and dense but harmonious. Long finish. Solid and a little more restrained in style. Drink: 2019 - 2028. Rating: 16.75 James Lawther MW, decanter.com (Apr 2013)
Offers a fleshy, dark, licorice-framed core of plum paste and blackberry pâte de fruit, supported by dense grip and a long echo of fruitcake on the finish. Recalls '09 with the intense, fleshy fruit. Rating: 92-95 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2013)
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.