LA CHENADE
2018 Lalande de Pomerol
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. 30% new oak. Tight earthy nose. Some wood. Smoother on the palate. Easy and enjoyable style. Good fruit with mineral tannin building at the end. Drinking range: 2021 - 2029L&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 La Chenade is more backward and demands more coaxing than the Lés Cruzelles, reluctantly unfolding to reveal scents of blackberry, melted tar and violet petals, all very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannins, well-judged acidity, gentle grip and a slightly smoother but slightly less engaging finish than the Lés Cruzelles. Still, this is very fine. Drinking range: 2022 - 2022 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)
A heady, sumptuous wine, the 2018 La Chenade is so delicious right now. Inky dark fruit, mocha, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice race across the palate. The 2018 is plush, open-knit and ready to give pleasure. There is a lot of substance to La Chenade in 2018, but I would prefer to drink it over the next decade, while the fruit is vibrant. Drinking range: 2023 - 2033 Rating: 92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)
A pleasing wine with plum, chocolate and walnut character. Medium body, nice integration of fine tannins and a savory finish. Drinking range: 2022 - Rating: 92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Jan 2021)
A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from gravelly soils, the 2018 La Chenade comes from the team of Denis Durantou and is still aging in 30% new barrels. It offers a rich yet savory style in its black raspberries, dried cherries, leafy herbs, and chocolate-laced aromas and flavors. Beautifully balanced, medium-bodied, and silky, this is another remarkable wine in the vintage that’s well worth seeking out. Rating: 90-92 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc; 30% new oak. Barrel sample. Ripe, sweet black fruit. A little bit jammy in fruit style and then thick with tannin on the palate. Chewy and so dense but with bags of fruit. Needs time but I’m not sure it will age that long because the fruit is pretty ripe. (JH) Drinking range: 2023 - 2028 Rating: 15.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)
This is produced by Denis Durantou of Château L’Eglise Clinet. The vineyard is in Lalande de Pomerol on gravel-based sandy soils. The 2018 La Chenade is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc with 30% new oak. Deep purple-black in color, the nose is slightly reticent and broody, offering notes of tar, chargrill and damp soil to begin, giving way to a core of fresh plums, black cherries and kirsch plus touches of bay leaves and iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate is fresh and juicy with plenty of bright black fruit and a plush texture, finishing long and refreshing. Rating: 90-92 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)
This is really delicious and fresh with lovely dark berries and purity at the same time. Medium body, fine tannins and a lovely finish. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)
The second wine of Les Cruzelles, this is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the former picked between September 18th and 25th, the latter picked September 28th. It has a delightfully fresh, gravelly and minerally nose, with a little grilled blackcurrant behind it. A fresh palate, quite tense at the start, with ripe red cherries, peppery and bright, rubbed over stone. Underneath, there are plenty of fine-grained tannins, rather substantial, with a polished finish. It feels fresh, but it is carrying a lot of grip. The élevage will be in 30% new oak. Rating: 89-91 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)
La Chenade
One of the brightest stars of Pomerol is undoubtedly Denis Durantou of the highly acclaimed Château l’Eglise-Clinet. Thankfully this glory is not enough for Denis and he also has a smaller estate in the less esteemed Lalande de Pomerol. Here Denis' skill and experience can produce magnificent wines that are a fraction of the price. The property is Château les Cruzelles, where he makes both Les Cruzelles but also La Chenade, another Lalande-de-Pomerol cuvée from the younger vines. He was even making this with Cruzelles’ grapes before he bought the estate in 2000. We champion this wine every year on primeur as it represents such consistently good value for money. Beautiful Bordeaux wine at an incredibly fair price - a rare gem.
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.