CHÂTEAU CLIMENS
2018 1er Cru Classé Barsac
After the frost of 2017 Bérénice Lurton was hoping for a more successful 2018. With the millerandage and the mildew, however, yields were just 5 hl/ha (not the lowest, it has to be said). As usual, this was a true barrel tasting. Barrel #1: Picked October 8th. Alcohol 13.2%, residual sugar 73 g/l (very light for Climens), 14% of the crop. Very pure, orange and tangerine. Straight, simple, chalky orange fruit, feels more like second-wine material, but perhaps important freshness for the blend? Barrel #2: Picked October 9th. Alcohol 13.3%, residual sugar 85 g/l (still light), 14% of the crop. A little more dense, more exotic, with chalky fruit. Almost feels Alsatian. Barrel #3: Picked October 10th & 11th. Alcohol 13.7%, residual sugar 75 g/l (still light), 14% of the crop. Denser still, honey and beeswax now, but cool, fresh, bitter and acid-bright. Barrel #4: Picked October 11th & 12th. Alcohol 13%, residual sugar suddenly up to 143 g/l (more like it), 14% of the crop. A pungent and minerally nose, oranges and beeswax, candied fruits, sweet and bitter. A very different character after just one day. Barrel #5: Picked October 12th. Alcohol 13.2%, residual sugar 131 g/l, 7% of the crop. Just four barrels picked on this day. Smoky, minerally, dusty, textured, with pithy orange zest and peach skin. Barrel #6: This was picked nearly two weeks later, on October 24th & 25th, after the rains and after the botrytis had set it. Alcohol 13.2%, residual sugar 209 g/l (serious concentration now), 16% of the crop. An explosive character here; beeswax, toasted nut, caramelised peach, sweet and viscous. Great botrytis character. Barrel #7: Also picked October 24th & 25th. Alcohol 14%, residual sugar 165 g/l, 14% of the crop. Smoky, minerally, botrytis intensity. Lovely elegance, poised with minerals and acids. Very complete. Barrel #8: Picked October 26th. Alcohol 14%, residual sugar 153 g/l, 14% of the crop. Smoky, perfumed, floral, mineral, polished, firm, with a good backbone of structure. The most striking feature of the tasting at Climens this year was the progression, from a light start, to a concentrated finish. Less homogeneity than usual, but still very fine potential. As usual, to reflect the nature of this tasting, I have added a note of caution to my score. Rating: 95 - 97? Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (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.
Château Climens
Barsac Premier Cru 1855 The name "Climens" appears to be derived from a local dialect word meaning unfertile land. It is one of the two Premier Cru properties in Barsac (the other being Château Coutet), although the golden age for Climens came later after Henri Gounouilhou bought the estate in 1885, guiding it through phlloxera and oidium, managing to expand the vineyards and, on occasions, rivalling even Château d'Yquem. In 1971, Château Climens was purchased by the great Lucien Lurton and is now run by his daughter Bérénice. The 30ha of vineyard are planted entirely with Semillon. The yield for the Grand Vin is very low, averaging 7hl/ha. The grapes are fermented in small barrels (a third new each year) and aged for 20 to 24 months before release.
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.