CHÂTEAU DU TERTRE
2020 5ème Cru Classé Margaux
Focused aromas of blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of dark chocolate, mint and graphite. Medium to full body, round and medium velvety tannins. Lovely berry and hazelnut character in the aftertaste. Juicy at the end with clarity. Already so attractive but give it two or three years to come together. Rating: 95 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 Château du Tertre still has a slightly herbaceous nose that I remarked upon from barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannins, nicely balanced, but does not deliver the complexity that I know this Margaux can deliver. Just falls a bit below its potential in this vintage. Drinking range: 2024 - 2048 Rating: 88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
This is another wine with the coffee bean / charred oak nose and also too many green highlights to suggest that the fruit is not ripe enough and also the oak is far too dominant for this style of harvest. Rating: 15.5+? Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 du Tertre is bold and punchy, with an enticing mix of inky dark fruit and more savory, earthy tones. All the elements are so nicely integrated. The tannins are a bit burly, as is often the case, and yet the 2020 appears to have enough fruit to provide at least some balance. Scorched earth, licorice, tobacco and game linger on the potent finish. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Château du Tertre has a slightly herbaceous nose, a trait that I have noticed on recent vintages; I find it a little jarring. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, but again, I perceive some herbaceousness in this vintage, plus some attenuation toward the gritty finish. I’m not quite sure where this will go once in bottle. Drinking range: 2024 - 2048 Rating: 87-89 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
The 2020 Château Du Tertre is fresh and lively, with pretty red and blue fruits as well as lots of sappy herbal and floral nuances. It’s nicely balanced and concentrated on the palate, with ripe tannins, a solid spine of acidity, and beautiful overall balance. The Margaux appellation was one of the more challenging places in the Médoc in 2020, but this looks to be terrific. Rating: 91-93 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)
A more sculpted feel to 2020 here than at many estates in Margaux, with touches of tobacco leaf and white pepper accompanying the raspberry and wild strawberry fruits right from the first moments. There is a vivacity to the tannins, which remain muscular and a little sombre on the finish, once they have built up through the palate. Good stuff. Château du Tertre announced new owners as of January 2021, with the Helfrich family of Grands Chais de France taking over from previous owners Albada Jelgersma family on a leasing and management basis. 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. A yield of 25hl/ha. 40% new oak. Drinking range: 2027 - 2042 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
27% Merlot, 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot. Deepest purple crimson. Lots of black fruit with a very slight herbal note and a nice touch of stone dust. A little bit sinewy on the palate but elegant in its restraint, dry texture, and the tannins are layered and fine. Long finish. Embryonic but that's hardly surprising for an unfinished wine. Long, fine-boned. Drinking range: 2030 - 2040 Rating: 17+ Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)
Château du Tertre
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.