CHÂTEAU MALESCOT SAINT EXUPÉRY

2018 3ème Cru Classé Margaux

EN PRIMEUR

This is a mighty Malescot. You sense the concentration on the nose which is heady with warm blackcurrent fruit. On the palate it is incredibly rich and glossy, almost confiture-like. The texture is very full and creamy. Then come huge, fine tannins. There is certainly nothing shy about this! It's just a question of whether you could handle a second glass. A very decadent wine that is more Malescot than Margaux? Drinking range: 2028 - 2045L&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 Malescot St. Exupery has a very attractive bouquet of detailed scents of red currant, wild strawberry, wilted rose petals and crushed stone, all gaining intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins matched with a fine bead of acidity. It feels a little more compact than its Margaux peers and exerts an insistent grip on the finish. But I admire its focus and precision. A Margaux that should age with style over the next 20–30 years. Drinking range: 2024 - 2048 Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)

The 2018 Malescot Saint Exupéry is every bit as compelling as it was from barrel. Powerful and incisive, the 2018 is a driving, potent Margaux that dazzles from the first taste. Iron, smoke, new leather, licorice, pressed rose petal and cedar all open in the glass, conveying tremendous nuance and a ton of character. Drinking range: 2028 - 2048 Rating: 95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)

A seductive Margaux with an intense nose of black fruit and red plums. Some herb and wood notes, too. It’s full-bodied with pretty, pure-berry flavors with some crushed stones and cement. The texture is silky and fine-grained and the tannins melt into the wine. Precise, flavorful finish with length. Try after 2024. Rating: 97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)

Tasted twice and showing incredibly well both times, the 2018 Château Malescot Saint-Exupery comes from a 28-hectare vineyard in the heart of Margaux and is a rough blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This full-bodied Margaux has everything you could want from this appellation, offering incredibly complex notes of cassis, tobacco, earth, and spice, full body, sweet tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. It’s an incredibly sexy, flawlessly balanced beauty that’s going to be relatively approachable in its youth yet age effortlessly on its balance and purity. Rating: 94-96 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)

Black core with narrow rim. Pretty oaky on the nose but a hint of something prettily floral underneath. The oak is covering the fruit at the moment but there’s flesh at the core, and the tannins are just slightly hard on the finish. The juicy fruit in the middle gives it a chance for the future. Drinking range: 2025 - 2033 Rating: 16 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)

The deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Malescot St. Exupery comes prancing out of the glass with flamboyant raspberry coulis, kirsch and redcurrant jelly scents over a fresh blackcurrant and boysenberry core with wafts of red roses, cinnamon stick and forest floor. Full-bodied, rich and opulent in the mouth, the palate delivers stacks of red fruit, cassis and floral layers with a firm, finely grained frame and plenty of freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Just lovely. Rating: 94-96 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)

A structured and muscular Malescot with blackberry and blackcurrant aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Big wine for this producer. Rating: 97-98 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)

The harvest here ran from September 24th until October 16th. This presents some tightly grained red cherry on the nose, wrapped in a ribbon of smoky, praline-tinged oak. There follows a very accomplished palate, elegantly poised, very complete in character, with a supple texture, an integrated central spindle of dark and tightly grained tannins, and fresh acidity. A very complete style, poised and elegant, with nice confidence. This is a very successful wine from Malescot, with a promising future. The élevage here will be in oak barrel, for 16 months. Rating: 93-95 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)

This up-and-coming estate has produced a rich, generous wine. Its tannins are open and broad, giving power to the black currant flavor and fine acidity. It will certainly be an attractive, fruity and fresh wine as it matures. Rating: 93 Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com (Apr 2019)

Malescot is always a relatively modern style, and it stays true to form in 2018. It's an enjoyable, high energy wine but it doesn't quite reach the heights of its 2016. It's a rich damson colour, with plump fruit on the attack. The oak impact is a little forced, and this is clearly aiming for vibrancy and character. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Drinking range: 2026 - 2038 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (Mar 2019)

Margaux Troisième Cru Classé 1855
Simon Malescot laid the foundations for this estate when he purchased the land in 1697. In 1827 it was sold to Count Jean-Baptiste Saint-Exupéry, who appended his name to that of the château and added vineyard land from his family holdings. His extravagent life-style, however, led his widow to sell Château Malescot Saint Exupéry in 1853 to a banker called Fourcade who added the now defunct Château Dubignon to Malescot Saint Exupéry. In 1885 the present château was built. A sale of the estate in 1901 saw Château Dubignon split off again (selling for most of the next fifty years as Château Dubignon-Talbot), only to be re-incorporated into Malescot Saint Exupéry by Paul Zuger who bought the estate (together with Marquis d'Alesme Becker) in 1955. At the time, Malescot Saint Exupéry had just 7ha of vines and a reputation that had hit rock bottom. The Zuckers, now represented by the third generation Jean-Luc, have rejuvenated Malescot Saint Exupéry and it now has a reputation for good quality and good value.

Château Malescot Saint Exupéry can claim the great Château Margaux as its neighbour and lies, therefore, in the very heart of the appellation. The vineyards are planted to 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin spend 14 to 16 months in oak, with up to 80% of the barrels being new wood.

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 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2027. 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 2027. 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.