CHÂTEAU CAPBERN
2016 Saint Estèphe
69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Tasted at Calon-Segur which is under the same ownership. This is from a 29ha parcel between Phélan Segur, Meyney and Tronquoy Lalande where there is a touch more clay. Perhaps it is that which gives the wine such cool cherry and blackberry fruit seasoned with a refreshing pinch of menthol. There are serious ripe, firm tannins and a sappy texture here too. It will punch well above its weight - a pocket battleship of a wine. Drinking range: 2023 - 2028 Rating: 90-91 L&S (Apr 2017)
* 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.
Deep ruby colour, similar to the 2014 but with a little more vibrancy. On the palate, the depth and concentration is clear, with layers of damson plum, cocoa bean, mandarin peel, earth and peat. Full of charm and character, with higher alcohols than many but no trace of heat. Drinking range: 2022 - 2050 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Oct 2022)
Made by the stellar team at Calon Ségur, the 2016 Château Capbern is fabulous stuff that readers should snatch up. Based on 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot raised in 60% new French oak, this deeply colored Saint-Estèphe offers textbook crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, crushed tobacco leaf, and damp earth. Deep, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, with fine tannins and everything in the right places, it’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for upwards of two decades. Drinking range: 2022 - 2042 Rating: 94 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Feb 2019)
The 2016 Capbern from the Calon-Ségur team, matured in 50-60% new oak, has a wonderful bouquet of blackberry, pencil lead and light floral aromas that leap out of the glass. The beautifully balanced palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, leading to a supple, smooth but complex graphite finish. This is a superb Capbern, easily the best ever made. Drinking range: 2021 - 2040 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jan 2019)
The 2016 Capbern is racy, bold and savory, with tons of energy from the Cabernet that drives the blend. Crushed rose petal, mint, dried herbs, licorice and lavender are some of the many notes that open up in the glass. Medium in body and gracious, this deceptively mid-weight Saint-Estèphe has a lot to offer. Time in barrel seems to have given the 2016 a bit more spine and tannic edge, which adds to an impression of freshness. What a gorgeous wine it is. Tasted three times. Drinking range: 2021 - 2036 Rating: 92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jan 2019)
The 2016 Capbern (the erstwhile "Château Capbern-Gasqueton") is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, delivering around 14% alcohol with a total acidity of 3.5 grams per liter. It was cropped at 42 hectoliters per hectare and is being matured in 60% new French oak. It has a clean and precise bouquet with blackberry, mint and just a hint of boot polish. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin; this is a typical Saint-Estèphe in terms of a bold, almost Montrose-like tannic structure, gently grippy with more than enough freshness on the pert finish. There is a lovely touch of cracked black pepper on the aftertaste. Give this three or four years in bottle as this is a fine Château Capbern. Drinking range: 2021 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)
69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 4% very old Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 60% new oak. Very deep crimson. Round and flattering texture with lots of zappy tannin. A little more angular than the famous 2009 but very easy to drink. Tannins quite marked at the moment. Very round tannins but they are there in such profusion that you will have to wait... Drinking range: 2024 - 2032 Rating: 17 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2017)
Love the stone, tar and black currant in this. Full and tight with firm and silky tannins and a long, long finish. Spicy, too. Can’t wait to see how this evolves. Serious. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2017)
This shows a great combination of deep, intense cassis and loganberry fruits and chalky, almost chewy, tannins. There is a slow creep of power, but with a sense of lightness in the touch. This is a reliable property, known as Capbern Gasqueton until 2013, that has delivered another hugely drinkable vintage - the IPT of 78 is similar to the 2014. The blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot spends 18 months in 60% new oak. 3.7pH. Drinking range: 2024 - 2038 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2017)
One of the sleepers of the vintage, the 2016 Capbern is a gorgeous wine. Plump, juicy and expressive, with good aromatic nuance throughout, the Capbern is once again terrific. Sweet tobacco, grilled herbs, licorice and succulent red cherry infuse this racy, exquisitely beautiful Saint-Estèphe. The Cabernet Sauvignon is quite expressive today, while soft contours and silky tannins add to the wine's considerable appeal. The 2016 is without question the most complete of the mid-tier Saint-Estèphes. Don't miss it. Tasted three times. Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)
A serious contender for the crown of best value wine of the vintage, this a supremely drinkable St Estèphe with no rough edges. Grassy, aromatic and beautifully weighted, it’s a comparatively forward style with a touch of underlying grip and a mineral flourish. Drinking range: 2020 - 2028 Rating: 92 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2017)
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 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.