CHÂTEAU LYNCH MOUSSAS

2018 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac

EN PRIMEUR

72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot. Quite an open nose of nicely polished dark fruit. Not the fullest on the palate but still nicely formed and with a pleasing pinch of salinity. The tannins are a a touch dusty but this is a very good Pauillac for those that prefer precision to absolute power. 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.

Ripe blackcurrant, stewed blackberry, clove, chocolate, graphite and hints of lemon verbena. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Focused and polished. Try from 2024. Rating: 93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)

The 2018 Lynch Moussas is deep garnet-purple colored and begins with cedary scents giving way to cassis, warm plums and raspberry coulis with hints of oolong tea, Marmite toast, sautéed herbs and charcuterie. The full-bodied palate gives a good core of muscular fruit with firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and savory. Rating: 91-93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)

Black core with narrow purple rim. Lots of spice and blackcurrant, already open on the nose. But you can sense the depth on the palate. Swings from initially juicy to later dry, so the finish is a bit drying. Could do with a little more flesh in the middle. Drinking range: 2027 - 2037 Rating: 16 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)

Very pretty and bright fruit, such as blackcurrants and blackberries. Full body and tight, firm tannins that are polished and beautiful. Gorgeous. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)

The blend here is approximately 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, with a yield of 50 hl/ha, and the alcohol declared as 14%. A dark, fresh but also slightly leafy character to the nose of this barrel sample, the grilled cherry fruits coming through with notes of bay leaf and wild herbs. The palate shows the same character, with some pretty and quite elegantly defined summer berry fruits, along with a touch of bay leaf, supported by a seam of fine tannins and a fresh, vivacious acidity. This is an attractive style for Lynch-Moussas. The élevage here is in 60% new oak and 40% second-fill oak. Rating: 91-93 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)

This bold, dark wine comes from a greatly improved estate. It offers a rich black-plum flavor, with a solid texture that gives it power and fine aging potential. Rating: 93 Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com (Apr 2019)

Pauillac Cinquième cru 1855 Thomas Lynch emigrated to Bordeaux from Galway in Ireland in 1691. He had two children and it was his son Thomas who associated the family name with Bordeaux by inheriting Lynch-Bages through his wife, and buying Lynch-Moussas and Dauzac in Margaux. Jean Castéja bought Lynch Moussas in 1919, and his family still own the estate. Lynch Moussas has has not really matched its apparent namesake estate of Lynch Bages which exceeds its 5th growth status with ease. Indeed, by the end of the 1960's, Lynch Moussas was run down with the chais in such bad repair that the wine had to be made at neighbouring Batailley. Things have improved considerably since then and, in good years, Lynch Moussas produce some perfectly decent claret. There are 60ha of vines, in various plots around Pauillac, planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot.

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.