CHÂTEAU BEAUMONT

2023 Haut Médoc

EN PRIMEUR

The 2023 Beaumont is an expressive Haut-Médoc. Blackberry, gravel, dried herbs, menthol and licorice are nicely woven together. The 2023 is attractive, if a touch dark and almost somber in feel. Frost and warm weather caused dehydration, reducing yields. That comes through in the form of tannins that feel a bit tough and bruising. Tasted two times. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 88-90 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2024)

75cl bottles (case of 12)

* 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.

I find dark chocolate and toasted oak on the nose, which parts to reveal violets, sweet blackberry, currant and menthol. A very nicely poised start to the palate, fresh and relaxed through the middle, with a less aggressive extraction here than some, the midpalate a medium-bodied and modestly juicy core of dark fruits with a nice frame of tannins beneath, all working in harmony together. Understated, modest in terms of extraction, the black fruits intertwined with leafy mint and toasted tannins in the finish, which falls away quickly. A decent showing from Beaumont in the context of the vintage, but this won’t be a keeper. Tasted twice. Rating: 88-90 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)

Aromas of sweet cassis and plums framed by a touch of creamy oak introduce the 2023 Beaumont, a medium-bodied, supple, soft and giving blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. While this estate suffered from frost and mildew, for now it retains attractive purity of fruit in an easygoing style. Rating: 87-89 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)

Notes of dark berry and walnut here. It’s medium-bodied with a grainy texture and some good fruit at the end. Rating: 89-90 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)

With its origins in 1824, Château Beaumont is a Cru Bourgeois estate in the Haut-Médoc on the left bank of the Garonne. The property has been owned by Société Grands Millésimes de France since 1986, owners of Château Beychevelle, the fourth growth Saint-Julien.

The 114 hectare estate is planted 53 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot to a vine density of 6,666 vines per hectare with an average age of 20 years for the vines. The vineyard is farmed on environmentally friendly principles, having used Terra Vitis and integrated farming techniques since 2004.

The harvested fruit is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats with three weeks of maceration. Soils are well-drained, deep and gravelly. With an average annual production of 600,000 bottles, the wines are matured in oak barrels (one-third new) for between 12 and 14 months, depending on the vintage. Their wines are characterized by their supple, silky and feminine structure. The tannins are generally mellow and rarely aggressive. All this contributes to making reliable, well-balanced wines full of charm and finesse, offering great value.

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at 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 £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2023 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

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). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.