CLOS DE L'ORATOIRE
2012 Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
This jumps out of the glass with a really attractive nose. It is lifted and bright on the palate too. Lovely linear balance between mineral purity and the well ripened fruit. good finish smacks of sophistication, good effort. L&S (Apr 2013)
* 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 Clos de l’Oratoire was picked at 25hl/ha between 11th and 22nd October and is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Considering how late it was picked, it shows no signs of dilution or rot on the nose – suave and sensual with lush red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte ripe tannins. It is well balanced with a keen line of acidity and a gently gripping, tannic finish. This is well crafted as always. Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2013)
Copious aromas of Christmas fruitcake, cedar wood, underbrush, incense, black currants and black cherries emerge from this sexy, medium-bodied, lush, fruit-forward St.-Emilion. It should be enormously appealing to consumers over the next 10-12 years. Owned by Stephan von Neipperg and made with the consultation of Stephane Derenoncourt (who looks after all the von Neipperg estates), yields were extremely low for the 2012 Clos de l’Oratoire – 25 hectoliters per hectare. The final blend was 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and the natural alcohol reached 13%. 2013 - 2025 Rating: 90-93 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Apr 2013)
90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Sweet juicy red fruit. Lively and very fresh and crunchy. Fragrant and refined in aroma and structure. 60% new oak but not OTT. Tannins are super fine, giving a long finish where the fruit fragrance returns. 2017 - 2025. Rating: 17 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2013)
Rating: 17 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Apr 2013)
Features a bright feel, with bergamot, raspberry and cherry pit notes. Slightly sinewy through the finish, but hints at fine length and good fruit in reserve. Rating: 88-91 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2013)
This is very minerally with hints of dark fruits and dark chocolate. Medium to full body, with integrated tannins and a juicy finish. Very fine and reserved. 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2013)
Clos de l'Oratoire
Located on Saint-Émilion's north-east slope, the Clos de l'Oratoire estate dates back to the mid-19th century to the Beylot family, Libourne based négociants. In the 1969 Saint-Émilion reclassification, Clos de l'Oratoire was ranked Grand Cru Classé. The 10.32 hectares of vines grow on clay-limestone and Fronsac molasse on the upper part of the slope, and clay-sand on the lower part of the slope, a terroir which is enitrely suited to the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grape blend. The average age of vines at Clos de l'Oratoire is 35 years, and grapes are all hand harvested into small crates to avoid bruising. Since 1991, the estate has been under the charge of Comte Stephan von Neipperg, who inherited part of the vineyard from his father Joseph-Hubert, Graf von Neipperg.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (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 £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
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) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.