CHÂTEAU CAPBERN
2023 Saint Estèphe
Highly spiced blackberry and cassis fruits, liquorice root, coffee beans, creamy cappucino, even a touch of grated ginger which adds freshness to what is a pretty intense Capbern. The alcohols are unusually high for the vintage in this sector of Bordeaux, and it brings a supple character to the tannins and a rich texture to the fruit - underlining that Capbern is far away from the tradionally-framed St Estèphe it was in the past. 45hl/h yield, 60% new oak for ageing, harvested September 6. Drinking range: 2029 - 2040 Rating: 89 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)
75cl bottles (wood case of 6)
* 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 2023 Capbern is a plush, sensual wine. Juicy dark plum, spice, mocha, gravel and incense are all amplified in this racy, wonderfully inviting Saint-Estèphe. Soft, supple tannins wrap it all together in style. Readers looking for an affordable wine to drink over the next 10-12 years will adore this. Superb. Drinking range: 2025 - 2038 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
The blend here is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 1% each Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, a little more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, because the Cabernet Sauvignon was of high quality. Also the yields were good, at 45 hl/ha. The picking began September 6th for the Merlot, finishing the 20th, the Cabernets began on the 28th, finishing the 30th, the same as the Calon wines. Sweet and perfumed Cabernet flowers on the nose, a more confident expression than Vincent Millet’s right-bank wines (such as Le Prieuré), with gorse flowers and violets. A modest texture at the start, very controlled through the middle, with well knit and clearly ripe tannins, nicely polished, with a gentle and rather powdery body of fruit, and supremely fresh acidity. Pure, finessed and elegant, this is a very nice example of Capbern this year. The alcohol is about 14.6%. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
A serious, brooding wine, the 2023 Capbern offers up aromas of cassis and dark berries mingled with licorice and spices. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with good depth and concentration, it's built around lively acids and powdery tannins. It's a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon (an unusually high proportion for Capbern) and 29% Merlot with the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Rating: 91-93 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)
There is clarity and freshness to this, with crunchy dark fruit, cedar and blackberry. It’s medium-bodied, racy and fine. Lead pencil at the end. More precise than 2022. 69% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 1% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)
Château Capbern
The Gasqueton family of Calon Segur also own this excellent estate situated south of the town of St Estephe, between the vineyards of Montrose and Phelan Segur.
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.