CHÂTEAU CAPBERN

2018 Saint Estèphe

EN PRIMEUR

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. Made by the team at Calon Ségur, this Saint Estèphe is a perennial over-achiever and 2018 is no different. The clay-rich soils have worked their magic and kept this refreshed in the summer heat. You feel it in the cool dark berry fruit which is never cloying. There's a very welcome bass note of minerality too. It's Saint Estèphe, so the tannins are very present but they are fine and never drying. You can tell this has been very well made. Likely to be another cellar filling bargain. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035L&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.

The 2018 Capbern was a wine where I expressed reservations in terms of a soupçon of sur-maturité and the alcohol level when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle, well, I still have those reservations. That is not to imply that it is a bad wine – far from it. There is a generous lift on the nose of blackberry, touches of blueberry and light violet aromas, and the palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannins and plenty of graphite-infused black fruit. Yet I find the finish a bit wearing and rather monolithic vis-à-vis other vintages tasted. It feels like a bit of a blunt instrument and I much prefer the Marquis de Calon this year. Drinking range: 2022 - 2032 Rating: 88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)

A juicy and savory red with currant, walnut, mushroom and cedar aromas that follow through to a medium body with firm tannins and a savory finish. Drink after 2023. Rating: 92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)

From the team at Calon Ségur, the 2018 Château Capbern is another smoking good Saint-Estèphe. In 2018 it’s a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will spend 18 months in 60% new French oak. This ripe, sexy wine (it hit 14.6% natural alcohol) sports a deep purple color as well as blockbuster notes of crème de cassis, jammy blackberries, crushed flowers, and scorched earth. Despite all the fruit and texture, it stays beautifully balanced, has classic Saint-Estèphe earthy minerality, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Rating: 92-94 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)

Deepest purple. Dark and stony, lovely slaty nose. Firm, chalky, dense and still with lovely freshness. Not the same richness as the 2009 but with great purity and definition. More serious, less seduction. Long and great structure. So pure in its dark cassis fruit. Cool with a touch of liquorice on the finish. Drinking range: 2023 - 2029 Rating: 17 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)

The 2018 Capbern is composed of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot and comes in at 14.6% alcohol. It's anticipated to age for 16 months in barriques, 60% new. Deep purple-black in color, it leaps from the glass with vibrant scents of black raspberries, kirsch and fresh blackcurrants with nuances of cedar chest, pencil lead and forest floor plus a waft of lavender. Full-bodied, rich and packed with juicy fruit, it has a firm line of grainy tannins and loads of freshness, finishing with an herbal lift. Rating: 91-93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)

A fresh and firm Capbern with lots of dark berries, chocolate and hints of hazelnuts. Medium to full body and dense, lightly chewy tannins. Mineral undertone. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)

A tasty, extremely appetising Capbern that, after tasting, makes you already look forward to drinking in bottle. It has a real elegance to its black fruits, and the tannins have a softness and succulence to them, leading on to a mouthwatering finish. Harvest took place between 19 September and 8 October, around one week earlier than in a classic year according to Laurent Dufau, and yielding 37hl/ha. 3.7pH. 60% new oak. Drinking range: 2024 - 2036 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2019)

The 2018 Capbern is expressive, nuanced and inviting, with lovely upfront fruit. In 2018, Capbern is a bit compact and tightly wound, but it also has a good deal of persistence. The Cabernet is quite marked in the 2018, which is not a bad thing, it just means the wine is going to need time to be at its best. What really stands out, though, is the push and pull between the bright aromatics that this cool, clay-rich soil helped give in 2018, and the ripe, radiant fruit of the warm summer. That interplay makes for an absolutely compelling wine. Red cherry fruit, mint, dried flowers, cedar and tobacco add aromatic nuance to this highly expressive, vibrant Saint-Estèphe. The blend is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Tasted two times. Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2019)

This is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. The yield is 41 hl/ha, wit pH 3.75 and the alcohol level is 14.6%, a little lower than Calon-Ségur and Marquis de Calon, from the same team. The nose is charming and expressive, with some lightly grilled hedgerow fruits, dressed with dark chocolate and black pepper. The palate is cool, precise, tense and quite grippy, with a tightly grained and polished substance. There is plenty of energy here, the end of the palate absolutely packed with grip, but also cleansed by a fresh acid seam. It culminates in a long, gripped and reassuring finish. Overall, very good. 92-94/100 Rating: 92-94 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)

This spicy wine is rich in a black currant flavor, yet balanced by bright acidity. It's a fine wine that will develop well. Rating: 93 Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com (Apr 2019)

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 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 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. 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 2025. 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.