CHÂTEAU LES CRUZELLES
2018 Lalande de Pomerol
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. 40% new oak. Woody nose. Dark berry fruit with earth and brashy wood notes. Quite a big 'dark' feel to it. Should be approachable in its youth. 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.
The 2018 Lés Cruzelles impressed from barrel. Now in bottle, it has developed quite a precocious, intense bouquet of blackberry and blueberry fruit, a light savory note and earthy scents emerging with time. The palate is just wonderful: exquisitely balanced, quite structured yet not unapproachable, the acidity perfectly judged, with a ferrous note toward the finish. This is as good a Lalande de Pomerol as you will find in this vintage. Drinking range: 2022 - 2040 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)
The 2018 Les Cruzelles is another significant wine in this range from the Durantou family. It emerges from the oldest vines the family's Lalande de Pomerol property planted on clay/gravel soils. Dark fruit, graphite, sage, menthol, dried herbs and licorice add to an impression of virile intensity. The tannins are pretty serious, just as they were from barrel. A few years of patience will be hugely rewarded. Drinking range: 2025 - 2038 Rating: 93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)
A pretty, soft wine, offering cherry, berry and lightly stewed-fruit character with chocolate and coffee undertones. It’s medium-bodied with round tannins and a juicy finish. Already delicious. Drink or hold. Rating: 91 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Jan 2021)
From the team of Denis Durantou, notes of cassis, violets, tobacco, and earth all emerge from the 2018 Château Les Cruzelles, which is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc brought up in 40% new barrels. It's medium to full-bodied, elegant, and weightless on the palate, with loads to love. I also suspect it will represent a stunning value for true wine lovers (and drinkers) out there. Drinking range: 2023 - 2033 Rating: 91-93 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc; 40% new oak. Barrel sample. Black core with purple rim. Much fresher and more aromatic than the Chenade. Juicier and more supple to begin, with lively freshness, but the tannins are powerful and compact and it’s a bit tough on the finish. (JH) Drinking range: 2025 - 2030 Rating: 16 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)
This is produced by Denis Durantou of Château L’Eglise Clinet. The 2018 Les Cruzelles is blended of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc with 40% new oak and 14.5% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it features slightly reduced notions of asphalt and tires over a core of warm red and black plums, blackberry pie and boysenberries with hints of fruitcake, incense and potpourri. Full-bodied, rich and packed with perfumed black fruit, it has a velvety texture and seamless freshness, finishing long. Rating: 91-93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)
This is a firm and lightly chewy young wine with dark berries and blueberries and wet earth. Stony undertone. Full to medium body. Linear finish. Rating: 91-92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)
This is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the former picked between September 18th and 25th, the latter picked September 28th. There is a rather minerally, matchsticky and reductive character on the nose. A rather svelte start to the palate, with finely defined black cherry fruits, dusted with mineral notes, the palate wrapped up in a firm grip of tannin. A rather sweet, peppery, tannin-laced finish, with a chalky grip to it. Fresh, peppery, bright, with a lot of tannic grip for the structure. The élevage will be in 40% new oak. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)
Château les Cruzelles
Among the brightest stars of the exalted Pomerol appellation is Denis Durantou at Château l’Eglise-Clinet. Little more than a kilometre to the north, near enough to see one from t’other, across the Barbanne stream in Lalande-de-Pomerol is Château les Cruzelles, also owned by Denis. The 10ha of vines boast the highest proportion of Cabernet Franc in the area – 40% - with the rest being the more usual Merlot. Aside from Château les Cruzelles proper Denis also produces here La Chenade, a Lalande-de-Pomerol cuvee he made with Cruzelles’ grapes even before he bought the estate in 2000. Denis also owns a small vineyard of 35 year old Merlot vines at Saint Etienne de Lisse at the eastern end of St Emilion that goes under the name of Saintayme. And, a little further south-east, across the boundary in the Côtes de Castillon is Château Montlandrie that Denis bought in 2009. Much renovation has taken place at the 12ha vineyard that includes, almost uniquely for the Right Bank, new plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon that now make up 15% of the vineyard alongside the usual 65% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
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 2023 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.