CHÂTEAU BELGRAVE
2018 5ème Cru Classé Haut Médoc
The nose has a warming wood smoke character. Rich on the palate, there is plenty of dark fruit flavour. Well structured with a crisp edge of acidity. This didn't blow us away but that is not to say it won't turn out top be a lovely drinking Haut Médoc. Drinking range: 2021 - 2028L&S (Apr 2019)
* 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.
Blackberry, blackcurrant leaf, vanilla, crushed hazelnut and gravel on the nose. Violets, too. It’s medium-bodied with firm, integrated tannins. Chewy and polished. Cool and mineral with a tight finish. Give it some time. Try from 2024. Rating: 93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)
The 2018 Château Belgrave is a hidden little gem that’s well worth seeking out. Darker fruits, roasted coffee, and earthy notes all emerge from this medium-bodied, juicy, focused Haut-Médoc that picks up more complex floral notes with time in the glass. It’s balanced, offers bright acidity and firm tannins, and will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age. Rating: 89-91 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)
Black with barely a rim. Sweet, black small berries, cassis and elderberry. Chewy, chalky and extremely compact tannins, just the right amount of freshness to balance and has the fruit for a rounded whole but a little severe for now. Drinking range: 2024 - 2032 Rating: 16.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Belgrave reveals scents of crushed blackberries, wild blueberries and fresh blackcurrants with touches of damp soil, fungi, charcuterie and sautéed herbs. Full-bodied and completely packed with rich, black fruit layers, it has a solid foundation of firm, chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy. Rating: 89-91 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)
Wonderful aromas of blackcurrants and violets. Very fresh. Full-bodied, vivid and firm-textured. Very long and focused. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)
The blend is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. It begins with a fresh, chalk and open character on the nose, revealing dried damson fruits with a little bay and juniper note, very Cabernet in style, as well as a twist of vanilla pod. There follows an accomplished palate, with black cherry and damson fruits wrapped up in plenty of spicy vanillin oak, building to provide some sense of texture through the middle, and supported by firm and tightly knit tannins as well as a correct acidity. There is plenty of phenolic confidence in the finish. This has some good potential, and it is almost always under-rated. The élevage will be the traditional system, using one-third each new, second-fill and third-fill barrels. Rating: 92-94 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)
The wine is both fruity and bright, with brisk acidity that cuts the ripe black-currant flavor. Its attraction is the lift of freshness that is balanced by the fruitiness at the end. Rating: 92 Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com (Apr 2019)
Château Belgrave
Haut-Médoc Cinquième cru 1855 Despite being listed as a 5th Growth in the 1855 classification, Château Belgrave's reputation for great wine-making is very recent. It is only since it came under the Dourthe umbrella that serious advances have been made in the vineyards, production techniques and, consequently, the finished wine. The estate is in the commune of St Laurent-Médoc and, therefore, only entitled to the Haut-Médoc appellation. However, only a small stream seperates the vineyards from St Julien, and the gravel soils are very much the same. Whilst the name might appear to derive from these same gravelly soils, apparently it dates from the time of an English owner who named his vineyard after the London district of Belgravia! Since the Dourthe take-over the vineyards have been gradually replanted to a more Médoc-like 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, whilst the proportion of Merlot has shrunk to just over 40%, with the rest made up of a little Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
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 2024 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.