CHÂTEAU MONBRISON
2018 Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Margaux
Not the most precise dark fruit but there is no shortage of it and there's some freshness. It has good glide across the palate but the finish is hidden in lots of fury tannins. You wonder what the fruit will be like once those have mellowed? There's nothing at all wrong with this but we suspect there may be better Cru Bourgeois from Margaux in this vintage. 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.
Cedar, walnut, currant and clove to the redcurrants, following through to a medium to full body with chewy, polished tannins and a long finish. Drink after 2023 and onwards. Rating: 92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)
Deepest greyish crimson. Lively, aromatic hedgerow black fruit. A note of black tea. Distinctive in its fragrance. Silky texture but there’s a strong intrusion of oak char, which is a shame after that aromatic start. Fresh on the finish too. My score is based on the assumption that the oak will recede. Drinking range: 2026 - 2033 Rating: 16.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Monbrison delivers pronounced crème de cassis, Black Forest cake and stewed plums scents with hints of sautéed herbs, grilled meats and truffles. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, chewy texture and plenty of herb-sparked, savory flavors, finishing just a little firm. Rating: 88-90 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)
Tight and focused 2018 with firm tannins and fresh tension driving this medium-bodied red. Rating: 90-91 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)
In this vintage this is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, picked at a yield of 30 hl/ha, and the declared alcohol is 14%. This is quite a leafy style of Margaux on the nose, a layer of smoked cherry fruits, coming with bay leaf and a touch of green olive. A pretty start on the palate, with some rather light and crunchy redcurrant fruits, taut and slightly crystalline in style, with a medium-bodied substance all the same. A rather crunchy, peppery and slightly bitter finish seals the deal. The élevage here will be in 40% new oak and 60% second-fill oak. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)
This is definitely a sweeter style, suggesting the Cabernets reached serious ripeness and concentration here, something that was no doubt accentuated by the 30hl/ha yield. The attack is dominated by toasted oak with caramel edging, alongside raspberry and blackberry coulis running through the palate, tightened up with liquorice root. There's a good menthol freshness on the finish, which means the tannin build up is not too fierce, despite there clearly being plenty. Charming and approachable, from a reliable property located in Arsac, on the western edges of Margaux. 40% new oak. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 89 Jane Anson, Decanter (Mar 2019)
Château Monbrison
Château Monbrison is in the commune of Arsac, a near neighbour of Château du Tertre. Robert Davis, an American, bought the estate in 1921 when he married into a local family.
Owning a Bordeaux estate was not always an easy thing at a time of World Wars and Depression, and Monbrison’s vineyards were pulled up in 1939. Fortunately, Robert’s daughter Elizabeth had the foresight to replant the vineyards in 1963, initially selling the produce to Château Prieuré-Lichine but from the mid-1970’s producing wines of Château Monbrison in their own right. Today the estate is owned and run by Robert Davis’s grandson Laurent Vonderheyden.
Vineyards are planted with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.
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.