CHÂTEAU LE CROCK
2023 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel Saint Estèphe
Sappy and cheerful, bright ruby red fruit, well balanced with chewy tannins that give plenty of expectation. Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in theory, although the new classification, that will confirm for 2023, is coming in January 2024. 25% new oak, final year of organic converstion, and 52hl/h yields, so a particularly good crop. Harvest September 8 to 29. Drinking range: 2025 - 2032 Rating: 92-100 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 Le Crock is a very pretty and expressive Saint-Estèphe. Dried herbs, licorice, tobacco, cedar and scorched earth lend tons of aromatic nuance to play off the wine's mid-weight personality. Understated and classy, the 2023 is quite expressive in this tasting. There's also a compelling new sense of freshness and nuance here. Bright saline notes linger on the precise finish. Drinking range: 2028 - 2043 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, picked from September 8th to the 29th. The nose here offers up sweet dark berries, wrapped in ribbons of dark chocolate and toast, and on a second sample also a scented, cedary perfume. This continues on the palate in a convincing style, with sinewy dark fruits, currants and damsons, intertwined with toast and olives, with a juicy but coherent substance, and a fine grip of powdery and nicely knit tannins. This holds together really well, with a dry but coherent substance built from a body of rich, firm, tightly knit tannins, before it finishes with a flourish of savoury fruit but also firm tannin. A good result. Tasted twice. The alcohol is 13.49% on analysis. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
Aromas of cassis, dark berries, plums and petals introduce the 2023 Le Crock, a medium to full-bodied, pure and flavorful wine with a sweet core of fruit framed by youthfully chewy tannins. It's a characterful wine that will reward a bit of patience. Rating: 81-89 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)
A structured and focused red with good volume and concentration to its fruit. Medium-bodied with firm but well-integrated tannins that form the backbone of the wine. It’s layered and complex with impressive length. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)
Château Le Crock
Château Le Crock is in Saint Estèphe in the northern Médoc. The imposing current Château was built by the Merman family at the beginning of the nineteenth century and is surrounded by magnificent gardens. The vineyard is around 33 hectares (82 acres) and touches two of the most prestigious châteaux of the appellation, Château Cos d’Estournel and Château Montrose.
It is owned by the Cuvelier family, which also owns Château Léoville Poyferré in Saint Julien. The Cuveliers were originally wine merchants in Lille in northern France and Le Crock was their first vineyard purchase, in 1903, so has a special place in the affections of the family, many of whom spent their summers there. The Cuvelier properties were run with considerable flair by Didier Cuvelier for forty years. 2018 his cousin Sara Lecompte-Cuvelier took over at le Crock. Under Jonathan Servant, who runs the vineyard, the soil is worked mechanically, to avoid the use of herbicides, and with sexual confusion techniques to avoid the use of pesticides. The consultant oenologist is Michel Rolland. Grape Varieties: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. In the classification of the Crus Bourgeois in early 2020, Le Crock was elevated to the status of Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel.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.