CHÂTEAU GRAND PUY LACOSTE
2019 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Red fruits jump out of the glass here. Ooh that is good. Such class. Really intense but lacks the fat or gloss of so many. Tasting after Tourelles de Longueville this has a really defined poise and grace. Yet the fruit is rich too - nicely filled out in the middle - but brighter throughout. Some gorgeous, peppy red fruit - with good juicy acidity that keeps it flowing nicely. Some fine, dusty tannins build gently - and this ends with nice grip and energy. 2019 is a great GPL and has a long charm-filled future. (83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot.)L&S (Jun 2020)
* 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 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a well-defined bouquet with cedar and graphite infused black fruit, hints of pencil shavings, controlled and refined. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, taut and fresh with a pixelated and mineral-driven finish, lingering long in the mouth. What a heavenly 2019 Pauillac. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drinking range: 2026 - 2060 Rating: 97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
The 2019 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is sublime. Silky, perfumed and light on its feet, the 2019 is a wine of grace and finesse. Crushed red berry fruit, sweet red berries, mint, spice, blood orange and mint give the 2019 a brilliant aromatic register that adds to the wine's total sense of allure. The 2019 is such a classy wine. Drinking range: 2029 - 2049 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
The 2019 Grand Puy Lacoste, as usual, requires plenty of aeration in the glass. Then boom! You get that gorgeous, classic Pauillac raspberry and blackberry fruit infused with cedar and pencil box scents. The harmonious, poised palate has wonderful focus, very fine tannins and a silky-smooth texture. As I remarked in my previous note, it’s very pliant and persistent, with a graphite-tinged finish. A glorious Grand Puy Lacoste that will need time to assimilate the oak – but hey, GPL lovers know the rules. Drinking range: 2025 - 2060 Rating: 96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
Inky and glass-staining damson colour, with enjoyable aromatics, slow building power that is tempered and softened by waves of violet and peony. Knitted down, muscular tannins build a wall around the black fruits. This is concentrated, signature Pauillac just as it was En Primeur, majoring on pencil lead, cloves, liquorice and cocoa bean. 41hl/h yield, 75% new oak. Drinking range: 2028 - 2050 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jan 2022)
Dark but vibrant and racy, with sleek black currant, blackberry and black cherry puree flavors coursing through, pierced by a graphite spine and backed by tobacco, singed alder and freshly plowed humus notes. The long finish has a smoldering hint without sacrificing the purity of the fruit. Rock-solid. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2040. —J.M. Rating: 95 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Jan 2022)
The 2019 Grand Puy Lacoste is deep purple in colour. Initially the bouquet is tight and so I left my sample for 15-20 minutes to open. It rewards patience with a beguiling mélange of pure blackberry, raspberry, crushed violet and pencil shavings, very focused and mineral-driven. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins. Compared to the robust, tannic GPL's of old, this is much more lithe and approachable, yet it still bears the DNA of this Pauillac estate. It might not possess the flair of other 2019 Left Banks, but that it is not what I seek from this estate. Classy and full of breeding - quintessential Pauillac. Drinking range: 2025 - 2060 Rating: 95-97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)
Deep colour. A refined classic. Fragrant, lifted dark-fruit nose with blackcurrant notes to the fore. Super palate, the tannins plentiful and firm but offering a velvety texture at the same time. Lots of freshness, even a saline edge. Builds to a long, dry, mouth-cleansing finish. 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot. Barrel sample. Drinking range: 2030 - 2045 Rating: 17.5++ James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Jun 2020)
Lovely depth of colour, a big difference between the 1st and 2nd wine in this vintage, this just screams Pauillac with its pencil lead, charcoal and cassis notes. Glass-staining colour, extremely silky, with liquorice and chocolate adding layers without taking away from the purity of expression. Fine tannic hold, tons of character and clear longevity - this is a brilliant wine, easily equal to the 2018 and approaching the 2016. Drinking range: 2027 - 2046 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2020)
A firm, silky red with intense, chewy tannins, showing structure, beauty and intensity. Full-bodied, tight and chewy. Racy and focused GPL. Shows a more refined structure than the 2018, but serious. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2020)
Château Grand Puy Lacoste
Pauillac Cinquième Cru 1855.
If there's an estate that can rival Lynch Bages for the crown of most over-performing 5th Growth, it would be Grand-Puy-Lacoste.
The "Grand Puy" is the low gravelly hill on which the vineyards sit. In 1750 a portion were sold to Pierre Ducasse and became, obviously, Château Grand Puy Ducasse while the rest, after a couple of name changes owing to inheritance by daughters, became Château Grand Puy Lacoste.
The Borie family bought into Grand Puy Lacoste in 1978 and began quite a renaissance for the property.
Just a few kilometres from the town of Pauillac, the vineyards of Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste total roughly 36 hectares (90 acres) with Cabernet Sauvignon making up 75% of the total plantings and the rest belonging to Merlot (20%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). Typical of the region, the vineyard consists of a deep gravel top soil on a limestone base.
Production is about 12,000 cases of wine in an average year. Fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, and then the wines are placed into oak barrels (50% new) for 18 months of aging.
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 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.