CHÂTEAU BEAUMONT

2020 Haut Médoc

EN PRIMEUR

Aromas of ripe berries, licorice, cloves and nut shell with some earthy undertones. Medium body. It’s round and supple on the palate with dusty tannins and a dry, velvety finish. Try from 2025. Rating: 92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 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 2020 Beaumont is fabulous in the way it marries power and finesse. Crushed red berry fruit, charcoal, dried flowers, spice and tobacco lend notable complexity. The 2020 has lost some of its youthful fruitiness, but none of its charm or pedigree. This is beautifully done. Drinking range: 2024 - 2035 Rating: 92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

"A good solid Haut-Médoc" is how I described the 2020 Beaumont when I tasted it from barrel. I've no need to alter that summation. A mixture of red and black fruit on the nose, this feels cohesive and detailed, not powerful yet it engages the senses. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit. There is just a slight bitterness that lends tension, quite sharp with black cherry, orange rind and cedar notes towards the finish. It's not going to win the wine of the vintage but it's a…well, I told you at the beginning. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 89 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Beaumont offers ripe black fruit, briar and pine, just like it did from barrel; it’s well-defined, with maybe a little more vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins on the entry, fine acidity and a sapid, tobacco-tinged finish. There is a fine sense of classicism in this Haut-Médoc. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2022)

This is a happy-go-lucky Beaumont with a fresh, red-fruited theme and a neat, savoury finish. Medium-weight and floral with rose petal notes and a red cherry core, this is a lovely little charmer and it will drink well in the mid-term. Rating: 16.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Beaumont is dark, fleshy and wonderfully expressive. Charcoal, scorched earth, lavender and spice give this dark, plummy Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois Superieur so much character and personality. Expressive spice and floral notes reappear on the long, beautifully articulated finish. This is a winner. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Beaumont has a well-defined bouquet of blackberry, briar and light pine cone scents plus a welcome touch of orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied and classic in style, with dry-ish tannins, but in no way austere; in fact, it displays fine depth and commendable salinity toward the finish. What they used to call "English gentleman’s claret," a.k.a. a good solid Haut-Médoc. Enjoy over 12–15 years. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 89-91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Beaumont opens with expressive notions of baked red cherries, mulberries and redcurrant jelly, plus hints of dried mint, pencil shavings and charcoal. The medium-bodied palate delivers a good amount of crunchy red fruits with soft tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with an herbal lift. Drinking range: 2023 - 2031 Rating: 87-89 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (May 2021)

A linear and polished young red with compact, silky tannins that are polished and beautiful. Lots of blackberry, blackcurrant, mushroom and spice character. Very solid wine from here. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2021)

Careful extraction sees a clear tannic frame to give balance and form to the wine without getting in the way of enjoyment, meaning this is a bottle that can easily be opened within the next few years. Silky texture, and the power builds through the palate, as concentrated brambled fruits begin to emerge. A slight bitterness overtakes the final push of the wine, this is spicy, intense and enjoyable. A yield of 40hl/ha. Tasted three times. Cru Bourgeois Supérieur. Drinking range: 2023 - 2034 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

A cru bourgeois supérieur. 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot. Dark purplish crimson with black core. Fragrant with cassis and a touch of cassis leaf and just a hint of the sweeter black-plum fruit. Fine, almost gentle tannins for a wine so young, dry but without much friction, almost chalky. A little bit flat on the palate with a charry darkness and less fruit than in the aroma. Could turn into something more elegant but at the moment it is rather slight. Drinking range: 2023 - 2028 Rating: 15.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)

With its origins in 1824, Château Beaumont is a Cru Bourgeois estate in the Haut-Médoc on the left bank of the Garonne. The property has been owned by Société Grands Millésimes de France since 1986, owners of Château Beychevelle, the fourth growth Saint-Julien.

The 114 hectare estate is planted 53 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot to a vine density of 6,666 vines per hectare with an average age of 20 years for the vines. The vineyard is farmed on environmentally friendly principles, having used Terra Vitis and integrated farming techniques since 2004.

The harvested fruit is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats with three weeks of maceration. Soils are well-drained, deep and gravelly. With an average annual production of 600,000 bottles, the wines are matured in oak barrels (one-third new) for between 12 and 14 months, depending on the vintage. Their wines are characterized by their supple, silky and feminine structure. The tannins are generally mellow and rarely aggressive. All this contributes to making reliable, well-balanced wines full of charm and finesse, offering great value.

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.