CHÂTEAU DOISY DAËNE

2023 2ème Cru Classé Barsac

EN PRIMEUR

Tasted in a line-up of other 2023s the Doisy Daëne stood tall for its fresh lines and neatly tucked up fruit. There is richness, a delicious citrus marmalade - that sits up well, with perkuy notes of apricot too. But the real charm here is the lift. A bright line keeps this interesting and lighter on its toes than many. Sophisticated and charming.L&S (Apr 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.

Pale gold with vibrant edging, starts with concentrated and intense clove spices, luscious apricot fruit, opening to show juicy, sculpted slivers of steel and lime juice. A return to form for this excellent Barsac wine after the succulent but unbalanced 2022. Great stuff from this legendary Dubourdieu property, although once again the yields are extremely low and the character is more concentrated than you find in vintages like 2021. Ageing starts with 10 months in oak barrels, followed by 9 months in stainless steel tank before bottling. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

A blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc here. A wonderfully minerally and fresh nose, reminiscent of crushed gravel, smoke and preserved lemons, a very bright and fruit-forward style. The palate starts off sweet, polished, broad and textural, much more so than the aromatics suggest, with a plump start to it, filled out with apricot, peach, mango and cherimoya, all underpinned by fine seams of minerals and the delicious acidity which defines the vintage. This is beautifully composed, with lots of white flower, white pebble purity, aromatic confidence, great texture but also such divine acid freshness. A delicious Barsac from a superb vintage. This has many decades ahead of it. Tasted twice. Rating: 95-97 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (May 2024)

The 2023 Doisy-Daëne is all class. Lifted aromatics open first. Delicate and understated in feel, with fine balance, the 2023 has so much to offer. Tangerine peel, passion fruit, mint, apricot and a kiss of sweet spice blossom with a bit of aeration. Doisy-Daëne remains one of the most sublime wines in Barsac and Sauternes. Drinking range: 2028 - 2053 Rating: 94-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

Pale gold with vibrant edging, starts with concentrated and intense clove spices, luscious apricot fruit, opening to show juicy, sculpted slivers of steel and lime juice. A return to form for this excellent Barsac wine after the succulent but unbalanced 2022. Great stuff from this legendary Dubourdieu property, although once again the yields are extremely low and the character is more concentrated than you find in vintages like 2021. Ageing starts with 10 months in oak barrels, followed by 9 months in stainless steel tank before bottling. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Apr 2024)

There’s a refined focus and beauty to this, with spice and honey character. Medium-bodied, sweet and poised. Flavorful at the end, in an elegant way, with density and tension. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)

Barsac Deuxième cru 1855 As one might expect, there was originally one Doisy estate. Sometime in the earlier 19th Century, it was divided into three parts - the larger part became Doisy-Vedrines, and two smaller parts became the rarely encountered Doisy-Dubroca and, the part purchased by Jean-Jacques Emmanuel Daëne, Doisy-Daëne. Jean-Jacques' sons later sold another portion of Doisy-Daëne to Doisy-Dubroca. Georges Dubourdieu bought Doisy-Daëne in 1924, and his family still own it to this day. The little over 16ha of vineyard sit sandwiched between Châteaus Coutet and Climens, and are planted with 87% Semillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Muscadelle. The Grand Vin is fermented in stainless-steel, but aged in wood, producing a style that is finer and cleaner than many other wines of the region. It would sit easily alongside the Premier Crus from the area, making Doisy-Daëne a sort of Barsac "super-second". In better vintages, a super-cuvée - L'Extravagant de Doisy Daëne - that rivals Yquem is produced from very late-picked grapes. Pierre Dubourdieu (Georges' son) was not so much interested in the classic dessert wines of the region as dry wines and under his stewardship, in 1949, Doisy-Daëne became the first Sauternes/Barsac producer to make a dry white. This 100% barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc is still produced in small quantities, although the modern generation place more appropriate emphasis on the sweeter end of the spectrum.

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.