CHÂTEAU MOULIN HAUT LAROQUE

2018 Fronsac

EN PRIMEUR

Tried in the UK initially and then again in Bordeaux. Impressive both times. Sweet attractive fruit. Tight and compact. Dark and quite dense. Well structured. These are ageworthy wines made to go the distance. The 2018 should develop nicely over the next couple of decades. Drinking range: 2025 - 2038L&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 Moulin Haut-Laroque still has its high-toned, slightly monochrome bouquet of cassis and blueberry fruit. The palate is balanced with a menthol-tinged entry, sweet and candied but lacking a bit of personality on the finish. Par for the course. Drinking range: 2021 - 2028 Rating: 87 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)

The 2018 Moulin Haut-Laroque is gorgeous. Succulent dark cherry, plum, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice all meld together in the glass. The forward, juicy style is immensely appealing. This is so well done. Drinking range: 2022 - 2030 Rating: 91 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)

Red-fruit aromas, as well as mushrooms and minerals. It is medium-to full-bodied with a silky texture, elegant tannins and a savory finish. Medium length. Try after 2023. Rating: 92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)

The deep purple-colored 2018 Château Moulin Haut Laroque reveals a ripe, sexy bouquet of blackberry liqueur, melted licorice, incense, and violets. Medium to full-bodied, plush, and textured on the palate, it's nicely balanced and has the freshness of the vintage with its good acidity. It's certainly the ripest vintage of this cuvée I've tasted, but it stays pure, fresh, and seamless on the palate. My money is on it surpassing the 2016 and 2017. Rating: 89-91 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)

Intense purple to the point of being black. Intense black fruit, both charry and full of cassis. Spice and dark chocolate. Incredibly concentrated and powerful with a bit of heat. So concentrated it is hard to taste but the fruit is all there. Their 5% Malbec helped keep the pH down a little, apparently. Thick but very smooth tannins. Well rounded, but take small sips – it is almost too concentrated. Drinking range: 2023 - 2030 Rating: 16.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)

This is very tight and already integrated. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and dark-chocolate, hazelnut and blueberry character. Lovely finish. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)

The blend here is 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec. It has a dark, brooding, concentrated character on the nose, with toasted plum and a peppered oak dressing. The palate is pure, fresh, bright and textured, with a lovely polished substance, creamed black plum and black cherry, with a pretty violet lift, underpinned by some serious tannins. These are tightly knit, rich and grippy, and intertwine nicely with the fresh acidity. This is pure and polished, and laden with tannic grip, and it has excellent potential. Rating: 93-95 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)

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.