CHÂTEAU BELGRAVE
2020 5ème Cru Classé Haut Médoc
Notes of cassis and blackberries with hints of spices, dark chocolate, cedar and leafy herbs. Medium- to full-bodied with ripe and velvety tannins. It has lots of energy and vibrancy to the dark-fruited palate. It’s both structured and juicy. Really well made. Better in 2025 and onwards. Rating: 93 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 Belgrave is a dark, brooding wine. Black cherry, gravel, smoke, cured meat and incense all run through this deep, alluring Haut-Médoc. This virile, muscular wine has a ton to offer. A whole range of savory Cabernet Sauvignon notes infuse the resonant finish with tons of character. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 90 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
The 2020 Belgrave has quite a potent, powerful nose with layers of blackberry and bilberry fruit, a light marine influence, though it needs a little more definition. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite a muscular Haut-Médoc, firming up towards the finish that exerts a bit of grip. Afford this 3-4 years in bottle and you will have a very decent Haut-Médoc. Drinking range: 2026 - 2036 Rating: 88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
Belgrave is such a reliable Château and in 2020 the fruit is cassis-driven, medium-weight and refreshing tart on the finish. It is also not too tannic, just lively and classically shaped. What I particularly like though is the array of fruit on the nose. There are layers here and complexity, too and as this wine softens they will be sure to charm all-comers. Rating: 17 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Belgrave is a promising Haut-Médoc. Graphite, scorched earth, cloves, licorice and lavender create a deep, penetrating bouquet. There is good depth and energy here, even if the 2020 remains just a bit lean. All the Belgrave needs is a bit more midpalate juiciness. Tasted two times. Drinking range: 2026 - 2035 Rating: 88-90 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Belgrave is matured in 32% new oak for an expected 12 months. It has what you might call a punchy nose, featuring brambly black fruit and touches of brine and sea spray; it would benefit from a little more cohesion. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, good acidity and a very classic Médoc, tobacco-tinged finish that just needs a little more flair. Maybe that will develop during its barrel maturation. Conservative at the moment. Drinking range: 2026 - 2036 Rating: 86-88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
Sappy and muscular black fruits here, you really get the impression that the tannins and colour components in the grapes have been searched for and gently coaxed out. Tobacco leaf and redcurrant aromatics arrive that show the fruits are not as exuberant as in some years, but this has been well handled and carefully balanced. 32% new oak for ageing. Drinking range: 2024 - 2040 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. 32% new oak. Partial malo in barrel. Deep purple-crimson, like elderberry juice. An attractive first impression of stone dust, with woody spice and non-sweet very dark fruit. Smells dark and rocky and elegant. Firm, dry and savoury on the palate too, the tannins chewy but lots of fine layers rather than a mass. Fresh and dry on the finish with a sinewy refinement that is so characteristic of left-bank bordeaux. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 16.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)
Very pretty and fresh with blackberry and blueberry aromas. Some flowers, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with round, polished tannins and a vivid finish. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)
Château Belgrave
Haut-Médoc Cinquième cru 1855 Despite being listed as a 5th Growth in the 1855 classification, Château Belgrave's reputation for great wine-making is very recent. It is only since it came under the Dourthe umbrella that serious advances have been made in the vineyards, production techniques and, consequently, the finished wine. The estate is in the commune of St Laurent-Médoc and, therefore, only entitled to the Haut-Médoc appellation. However, only a small stream seperates the vineyards from St Julien, and the gravel soils are very much the same. Whilst the name might appear to derive from these same gravelly soils, apparently it dates from the time of an English owner who named his vineyard after the London district of Belgravia! Since the Dourthe take-over the vineyards have been gradually replanted to a more Médoc-like 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, whilst the proportion of Merlot has shrunk to just over 40%, with the rest made up of a little Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
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.