CLOS DE L'ORATOIRE
2019 Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
These vines are north east of St Emilion in quite a cool spot. Not surprisingly, there is so much more power and richness than D’Aiguilhe. Less fresh and breezy perhaps but boy is this tasty. Retains nice balance. A really cool feel is then layered with good, dark fruit - but not sinewy. Just nicely ripened, black-fleshed berries and damson-like edge. Some undergrowth and briary notes too then red plum and blueberry. A coolness on the finish and lovely tensile, chalky tannins add a sense of drive. Smart. Made strictly organically in 2019. This will be certified from 2020 onward.
* 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.
Powerful and explosive in the glass, the 2019 Clos de l'Oratoire possesses tremendous depth and density from start to finish. Black cherry, chocolate, licorice, spice, menthol and lavender are all amplified in this potent, structured Saint-Émilion. Give it a few years to soften. Drinking range: 2026 - 2039 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
The 2019 Clos de l’Oratoire is an absolute gem from Stéphan von Neipperg. The beautifully defined nose unfurls with each swirl of the glass, revealing blackberry, briar and touches of wild mint and heather, all precise and focused. The palate is medium-bodied, quite sapid and classic in style, offering fine structure, gentle grip on the finish, and touches of black pepper and clove on the aftertaste. This is excellent and well worth seeking out. Drinking range: 2025 - 2048 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
A muscular, powerful wine, Clos de l'Oratoire is deep and expressive from the very first taste. Inky dark fruit, lavender, espresso, gravel and new leather all build as this potent Saint-Émilion shows off its character. Even with all of its fruit intensity, Clos de l'Oratoire has plenty of tannic heft. Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Clos de l'Oratoire comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of stewed cherries, mulberries and black raspberries plus suggestions of powdered cinnamon, potpourri, tobacco leaf and wild sage. The generously fruited, medium to full-bodied palate is laden with juicy black fruit and spicy accents, framed by soft tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long with an invigorating lift. Rating: 92-94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Jun 2020)
The 2019 Clos de l'Oratoire was picked from 23 September to 7 October at 51hl/ha and matured in 50% new oak. For the vintage, it has a slightly broodier nose than its peers, but still attractive with blackberry, briary, undergrowth and a trace of peppermint. The palate displays more vivacity with fine-grain tannins and an almost Left Bank pencil lead note emanating from the 19% Cabernet Franc. Quite linear but persistent on the finish, this is a very well-crafted, elegant, intellectual Clos d'Oratoire from Stephan von Neipperg's team. Drinking range: 2024 - 2048 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)
Chewy and rich with dried-mushroom, dark-fruit and burnt-orange character. It’s full-bodied with a dense, tannic palate. Smoky, toasty and coffee undertones here, too. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2020)
Sweetened and silky berry fruits, lovely combination of juice and tension alongside firm tannins and a confident overall feel. Impressive stuff from Neipperg at this rather under-the-radar classified estate. Drinking range: 2024 - 2038 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2020)
Clos de l'Oratoire
Located on Saint-Émilion's north-east slope, the Clos de l'Oratoire estate dates back to the mid-19th century to the Beylot family, Libourne based négociants. In the 1969 Saint-Émilion reclassification, Clos de l'Oratoire was ranked Grand Cru Classé. The 10.32 hectares of vines grow on clay-limestone and Fronsac molasse on the upper part of the slope, and clay-sand on the lower part of the slope, a terroir which is enitrely suited to the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grape blend. The average age of vines at Clos de l'Oratoire is 35 years, and grapes are all hand harvested into small crates to avoid bruising. Since 1991, the estate has been under the charge of Comte Stephan von Neipperg, who inherited part of the vineyard from his father Joseph-Hubert, Graf von Neipperg.
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.