CHÂTEAU DOISY DAËNE
2018 2ème Cru Classé Barsac
One of the most successful sweet wines in 2018, Doisy Daëne has done a great job in a tricky year. There is a good nose of quite bright fruit up front, which slowly reveals a line gently botrytised apricots. In the palate a rich, gold feel rules. A good weight but there is some drive and lift too. The impression is that of a more sloppy, tarter marmalade than the firmer dark stuff, thick cut stuff that we noted elsewhere. Nice really - and for the vintage this has some energy. Good effort.L&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.
Beautiful aromas of salted toffee, dried apple and pear follow through to a full body with pretty sweetness and brightness. Tangy and vivid. Drink or hold. Rating: 93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Mar 2021)
Syrupy pineapple nose and a touch of spice, and what seems like sulphur. Better on the palate, broad and sweet and spicy. Decent acidity but a bit rustic. Better on the second tasting too. Drinking range: 2025 - 2033 Rating: 16.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)
Serious density and spiciness with a full body, lovely sweetness and a flavorful, spicy finish. Lovely botrytis. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)
Poised and focussed, this gentle golden wine is easily one of the most successful of the vintage here. It has the beautiful pull between sweetness and acidity that not everyone has achieved in this late-harvest year. The texture is luscious and silky, but the flavours are bright and heading towards tart, with notes of lime, papaya and passion fruit. It's very good quality, showing clear minerality with a sense of life and freshness. A delicious wine, great job. 30% new oak. Drinking range: 2022 - 2040 Rating: 97 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2019)
Yet again we have another cuvée which is 100% Semillon, with none of the Sauvignon Blanc planted here making the cut. The alcohol is 13.5%. A lightly chalky nose here, with smoky yellow plum and yellow peach substance. The palate is fresh, pure, bold and broad, with a rich textural weight, sweet and polished, the overall build quite tightly grained, with a bright and incisive acidity. This feels classically Barsac in style, showing poised and minerally sweetness, and with a lovely grained energy to it. It has charming length too. Well done. The élevage will be in 30% new oak. Rating: 91-93 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)
Château Doisy Daëne
Barsac Deuxième cru 1855 As one might expect, there was originally one Doisy estate. Sometime in the earlier 19th Century, it was divided into three parts - the larger part became Doisy-Vedrines, and two smaller parts became the rarely encountered Doisy-Dubroca and, the part purchased by Jean-Jacques Emmanuel Daëne, Doisy-Daëne. Jean-Jacques' sons later sold another portion of Doisy-Daëne to Doisy-Dubroca. Georges Dubourdieu bought Doisy-Daëne in 1924, and his family still own it to this day. The little over 16ha of vineyard sit sandwiched between Châteaus Coutet and Climens, and are planted with 87% Semillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Muscadelle. The Grand Vin is fermented in stainless-steel, but aged in wood, producing a style that is finer and cleaner than many other wines of the region. It would sit easily alongside the Premier Crus from the area, making Doisy-Daëne a sort of Barsac "super-second". In better vintages, a super-cuvée - L'Extravagant de Doisy Daëne - that rivals Yquem is produced from very late-picked grapes. Pierre Dubourdieu (Georges' son) was not so much interested in the classic dessert wines of the region as dry wines and under his stewardship, in 1949, Doisy-Daëne became the first Sauternes/Barsac producer to make a dry white. This 100% barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc is still produced in small quantities, although the modern generation place more appropriate emphasis on the sweeter end of the spectrum.
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.