CHÂTEAU FONPLÉGADE
2019 Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
The 2019 Fonplégade has a cohesive and well-defined nose of red berry fruit, sous-bois and dry tobacco, the oak neatly folded into the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a little chewiness on the entry, fine acidity, maybe a little rustic compared to others but it has freshness and charm. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drinking range: 2024 - 2038 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
* 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 2019 Fonplégade is elegant, refined and full of character. Sweet dark cherry, chocolate, leather, spice, menthol and licorice build effortlessly in the glass. Fonplégade is a Saint-Émilion that emphasizes elegance over sheer power. Drinking range: 2025 - 2039 Rating: 95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
Fragrant violet and peony floral notes that hug the palate from beginning to end, adding a lightness of touch to the density and flesh of the damson and raspberry fruits. I noted en Primeur that there is less generosity than in the 2018 vintage, and that is still true, but there is a ton of finesse and balance and it effortlessly eats up the high alcohols. Love this. Derenoncourt consultant since 2015 with Michel Rolland, and since 2019 just Derenoncourt. 10% amphoras. Tasted twice. Drinking range: 2026 - 2044 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jan 2022)
The 2019 Fonplegade is fabulous. Rich, deep and expansive on the palate, the 2019 possesses tremendous depth and resonance in every dimension. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, spice, new leather and dried flowers all build in a sumptuous, ripe, dense wine. The 2019 is exotically rich, yet not at all overdone. In 2019 Fonplegade is a real standout. This estate, owned by Denise and Stephen Adams, and now farmed biodynamically, is very clearly on the rise. Rating: 94-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)
My sample of 2019 Fonplégade came direct from the property. There is a lot going on aromatically with high-toned black cherries intermingling with incense, kirsch and desiccated orange peel aromas. Fortunately it manages to maintain both focus and delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that lend this Saint-Émilion a corpulence that belies the structure that becomes tangible on the light grippy, quite spicy finish. This is a very well crafted Fonplégade, less ostentatious than previous vintages and all the better for it. Drinking range: 2024 - 2042 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)
The 2019 Château Fonplegade showed brilliantly and I suspect will be one of the top vintages from this estate. Gorgeous black raspberry, spiced cherries, dried herbs, chocolate, and a touch of flowers all define the bouquet, followed by a full-bodied red with an elegant, seamless texture, silky tannins, and a great finish. It's going to benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and drink beautifully for 10-15 years. Tasted twice. Drinking range: 2023 - 2038 Rating: 93-95 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Jun 2020)
Silky, rich, juicy blueberry and raspberry fruits, this is good quality and will age. It's less immediately voluptuous than the 2018, acidity seems a little higher, giving elegance and balance, with a mint leaf edge that gives a lovely cooling finish from an estate that is going from strength to strength. A yield of 35hl/ha. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2020)
A very ripe and juicy red with lots of pure crushed berries, from raspberries to strawberries. It’s full-bodied with round, soft tannins and a long, creamy-textured finish. The purity of fruit is exceptional. From biodynamically farmed grapes. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2020)
Château Fonplégade
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.