CHÂTEAU MOULIN HAUT LAROQUE
2023 Fronsac
Intense, feels a touch heavy through the mid palate although again the texture is velvety, and there is some mint leaf freshness alongside the powerful berry fruits. Feels like a hot vintage in the fruit character and the spice, which is rarely the case in 2023. Drinking range: 2026 - 2036 Rating: 87-100 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 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.
This is a blend of just 60% Merlot, with 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. The yield was 40 hl/ha, the harvest starting September 20th. The sense of fragrance and purity on the nose here is striking, the aromatics expressive and pure, with sweet and perfumed red plum, Dundee cake and rose petals. Curiously, while the nose is all about fragrant fruit, the palate shows plenty of scented oak as well, but with time the roses and plums return, set in a sinewy midpalate, with tense acidity, and a cleanly defined finish. This is charming, with a clearly expressed sense of harmony. Nice potential here. Rating: 91-93 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
This is textured and sleek with a beautiful core of fruit. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and attractive blackberry and chocolate notes on offer. Silky finish. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)
Château Moulin Haut Laroque
The Château Moulin Haut Laroque vineyard has been producing wine since 1890. There are just over 16 hectares in production, on the plateaus and hillsides of Fronsac. It is planted between 5500 and 6700 vines per hectare, with 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% (100 year old) Malbec, with lots of old vines - and an average vine age of 55 years old. Jean-Noël Hervé has handed over to his son Thomas a vineyard at the top of its appellation, which, as Robert Parker has written 'seems never to disappoint'. The harvest is manual, picked into small crates for transport to the modern winery, with dual sorting tables and total de-stemming. The winery uses gravity - the only pumps ever used are peristaltic. The wine is aged for 18 months in barrel, with 35% new wood. The wine has a distinctive character of limestone soils, with a bracing structure and firm definition framing a fruit which concentrated and expressive. A tannic frame is part of what makes this wine such a joy to drink, especially with quite hearty food.
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.