CHÂTEAU PEDESCLAUX

2019 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac

EN PRIMEUR

Yum. This is super. Really attractive with well-cut, glossy fruit. Bright lift then a sweet line of red berries and nice weight of flesh. Well sculpted though. A gentle floral lift of violets and pretty blue flowers. This is bright and yet the fruit middle is sweet and juicy. A succulent and deeply enticing 2019 with real energetic flow. Smart Pauillac at a very sensible price. You will be delighted to find this in your cellar in 10 years time!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 Pédesclaux has a slightly smudged, rather oaky nose with a touch of brown sugar infusing the red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a herbaceous entry, light and lacking depth, harsh and abrasive on the finish. This is a perplexing showing from a wine that tasted so good last year. Errant bottle? Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Rating: 0 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2019 Pédesclaux is quirky and full of character. It offers a beguiling mix of super-ripe dark fruit and savory Cabernet coupled with accents that offer a striking counterpoint. Black cherry, chocolate, new leather, spice, tobacco, incense and scorched earth lead into the substantial finish. There's more raciness than finesse in this Pauillac, but it all works well. Drinking range: 2024 - 2034 Rating: 93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)

The 2019 Pédesclaux, which is matured in 60% new oak, has a lively, classically styled bouquet of blackberry, briary, cedar and pressed violet scents, a touch of orange pith emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe black fruit, very polished and seductive. The expressive floral component lends the Margaux-like personality I remarked upon from barrel. Quite persistent in the mouth, yet accessible, this will be difficult to resist (but try). [One sample had a more briny finish than others.] Drinking range: 2024 - 2045 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)

Liquorice and violets, well balanced, plenty of tannic grip, good appellation signature without being too difficult to approach. One to recommend, and a successful wine to mark 10 years since Jacky Lorenzetti arrived at Pédesclaux and began his transformation of the property. 68% new oak, harvest September 23 to October 5. First year of conversion to organics. Drinking range: 2028 - 2044 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jan 2022)

The 2019 Pédesclaux has a clean and crisp bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and light cedar aromas, a discrete floral component that lends a Margaux-like personality. The palate is crisp and slightly chalky-textured on the entry. This is a fine-boned Pédesclaux with gentle grip. Maybe a little sterner than its peers, but feels reassuringly persistent. Excellent. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Drinking range: 2024 - 2045 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)

A classy Pauillac, the 2019 Château Pedesclaux is going to be up with the top wines from this address as it has wonderful purity and elegance (which is the vintage), yet backs it up with beautiful mid-palate depth and concentration. Lots of blue fruits, cedary herbs, graphite, violets, and smoky earth notes dominate the bouquet, and it's youthful, tight, and unevolved yet still seamless and incredibly pure. This beautiful wine reminds me of the 2016 with its concentration paired with finesse. Rating: 93-95 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Jun 2020)

This vintage marks 10 years since Lorenzetti arrived at Pédesclaux and began his transformation of the property. He should be given full credit for his success, and this is a great vintage to get on-board. Almost opposite to the 2nd wine in terms of its blend, this is a full 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the lowest amount of Merlot in the estate's recent history (the plantings in the vineyard have halved since he arrived). You see the results in a slight austerity on the approach, as this is a serious wine with savoury, clearly defined cassis and bilberry fruit flavours and a clear layering up of tannins that give it Pauillac bite. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 68% new oak, 3.8pH. Harvest September 23 to October 5. First year also of conversion to organics. Drinking range: 2028 - 2046 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2020)

This is very structured with a deep, dark palate, showing tightness and reserve. Full-bodied, chewy and linear. A very classic Pédesclaux with 72% cabernet sauvignon, which is one of the highest percentages ever. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2020)

Fascinating visit here with the winemaker Catarina Freitas in 2012. Catarina showed us the map of the parcels which were owned by the property at the time that it was bought in 2009, and then two others, showing how, by purchases and swaps, they has vastly reduced the number of parcels and are consolidating the vineyard.

This was also where we first saw Alessandro Masnaghetti's maps of the area, which is a fascinating insight into where all these wines actually come from.

Catarina explained that as a result of the strength of the co-operative movement in Saint Estèphe and northern Pauillac, properties passed down though families often got split into tiny plots. The previous owner, in a rush to expand the surface area, bought what he could. Sometimes this was just a couple of rows of vines in the middle of someone else's vineyard. This made vineyard management harder, and also made it difficult to see clearly what they had at vinification - it was impossible to vinify every tiny bit separately.

Winemaking includes pre-fermentary cold maceration that can last up to an astonishing fifty days. Like properties such as Charmail, they tried using dry ice to cool the harvest so as to make sure the fermentation did not start, but from 2011 on they are using a new method, which I have not come across anywhere before, which is to hold the harvested grapes in a cold room at 3C for twenty-four hours before beginning the egrappage and final sortings and putting them into vats.

We were also shown the proposed new winery, which will use the natural slope of the built part of the property down to the Gironde. It will be built into the hill and use gravity thoughout to avoid pumping. Make no mistake, there intent is very serious here and its a name to look out for.

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.