CHÂTEAU LILIAN LADOUYS
2016 Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Saint Estèphe
62% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot. Darker expression than stablemate Pedesclaux, a bit more density and richness. Everything is slightly more forced and it doesn't have the same level of flow. It's almost 'new car' fresh. Nevertheless, it's a very solid effort for what has been modest pricing in past vintages. Drinking range: 2024 - 2036 Rating: 89-91 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.
The 2016 Lilian Ladouys is opulent and vivacious on a nose of red currant and raspberry fruit, well integrated oak and lovely rose petal aromas. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins, well-judged acidity, good body and a grippy but detailed finish with veins of blue fruit. This is a joy to drink, but it needs a couple of years. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. Drinking range: 2023 - 2040 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Aug 2020)
A perennial overachiever, the 2016 Château Lilian Ladouys brings the goods in 2016 and has a complex, medium to full-bodied, character-filled style to go with loads of blue fruits, incense, dried herbs, and a hint of violets. A blend of 62% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot all raised in 30% new barrels, this charming, front end-loaded effort is well worth seeking out. It should keep for 10-15 years. Drinking range: 2019 - 2034 Rating: 92 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Feb 2019)
The 2016 Lilian Ladouys is a blend of 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 62% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot picked between 3-17 October and matured in 30% new oak. It has a tightly wound bouquet with blackberry, wild hedgerow and graphite, plenty of fruit here with excellent delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with ebullient red berry fruit laced with white pepper and bay leaf, a touch of brown spice towards the generous finish. Very fine...this is a step up from the 2015. Drinking range: 2021 - 2040 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)
A bit of oak is evident on the nose and there's something pretty stodgy about this – a terroir thing? Definitely earthbound. Grainy tannins dominate. Drinking range: 2024 - 2034 Rating: 16 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2017)
Juicy, with a lively streak of anise running through the middle of the plum and bitter cherry core. The finish has solid, fresh grip. Rating: 90-93 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2017)
Firm and silky with a lovely depth of fruit and polished tannins. Some cedar and berry. Full and dense. Excellent length. Energetic acidity at end. Yes. Better than the super 2014. Best ever Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2017)
Château Lilian Ladouys has the same owner as Château Pédesclaux, with Eric Boissenot acting as consultant. The intensity here is really remarkable for a wine that has such juice through the palate. There is a beautiful ripeness to the fruit, with tannins that provide a fresh frame. A definite improvement on the 2015, it captures the spirit of juicy, fresh tannins and fruits of the vintage. The blend is 62% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, with a pH of 3.64. Drinking range: 2024 - 2038 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2017)
The 2016 Lilian Ladouys is wonderfully expressive in this vintage. Lifted, savory aromatics and pliant fruit are some of the signatures, but it is the wine's sublime balance and sense of proportion that stand out most. Silky tannins add to the midweight, gracious feel. This is a strong showing. Lilian Ladouys is a rare Saint-Estèphe where Merlot takes precedence over Cabernet Sauvignon. Rating: 88-91 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)
Rating: 89 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2017)
Château Lilian Ladouys
This lovely Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in Saint Estèphe enjoys an enviable location on the Cos plateau, near to Calon, Montrose and Cos d'Estournel itself. The 80 hectare vineyard is 80% on gravel with a clay-limestone base, 20% on limestone-clay and is planted at 8500-10000 vines per hectare, with 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc.
The history of the estate can be traced back as far as 1654, when the property was in the ownership of Jacques de Bercoyan, a Bordeaux magistrate. By this time it was already known as La Doys, an obvious precursor to the Ladouys name of today.
The exciting modern history of the property began in 2008 when it was bought by Jacky Lorenzetti, and the family's investment was rewarded with the Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel classification in 2018. Since the purchase there has been many more deals to consolidate a coherent vineyard from the many parcels.
Lilian Ladouys is managed by Emmanuel Cruse, the consultant oenologist is Eric Boissenot. The work in the vineyard aims to make sure there is an even spread of bunches on the vines, and that these are well-ventilated (leaf-thinning). The earth is ploughed, with either sowing of ground-cover between the vines, or leaving nature to its own devices, depending on the vigour of each parcel. The grapes are harvested by hand, with sorting as bunches and again by grape after the de-stemming, after which the they go into the vats by gravity for a cold maceration prior to the fermentation. Extraction is managed by gentle délestage. The wine is aged in barrel, with 40% new wood each year.
The vineyard certified 'Haute Valeur Envionmentale' level 3. From 2020 they began conversion to organics with 20% of the vineyard, and all being well will complete conversion in 2023.
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.