CHÂTEAU FOURCAS DUPRÉ
2020 Cru Bourgeois Haut Médoc
This shows notes of cassis, black cherries, crushed walnut, toasted spices and chocolate. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins that give a silky mouth-feel. Polished and refined with a delicate fruit character. Fresh and chalky finish. Drink or hold. Rating: 91 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 Fourcas Dupré remains angular and compact, offering limited depth. Unfortunately élevage has helped only to a limited degree. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 88 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
The 2020 Fourcas Dupré has a cohesive and focused bouquet, more bashful than some of its peers, black fruit mixed with pencil lead and very light peony aromas. The palate is well structured with slightly angular tannins that will be smoothed by time. Fresh and saline, fine depth, this is very classic in style and it should mature well in bottle. One for cellaring. Drinking range: 2026 - 2042 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
The nose is a little reluctant here and the fruit is sour and a little bit too confected for my taste. There is a green thread running through this wine which hints at unripeness and this theme doesn’t sit well on the palate Rating: 15+? Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Fourcas Dupré is harsh, compact and very hard to taste. Hopefully élevage will help. Drinking range: 2022 - 2025 Rating: 83-85 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Fourcas Dupré has lively blackberry, raspberry and citrus fruit on the nose, touches of cedar and pencil lead coming through with aeration; this has a fine attack. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, fine acidity and a slightly brittle texture, but it’s harmonious and full of tension on the finish. This is classic Listrac that should age with style. Drinking range: 2026 - 2042 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
45% Merlot, 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot. Rich, deep purple-crimson with purple rim. The aroma is quite subtle and refined, with fresh black fruit and no intrusive oak, plus a light hint of stone dust. On the palate, really dry tannic texture but in a good way, adding to the freshness. Black-fruited but with absolutely no fruit sweetness, perhaps a little light on the mid palate, a sort of elegant darkness. Should age well but needs time. Drinking range: 2028 - 2034 Rating: 16+ Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)
Some pleasant fruit with firm, silky tannins and a good amount of dark berries and violets. Rating: 90-91 James Suckling, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2021)
The climatology of the 2020 vintage is perfect for the terroirs of Château Fourcas Dupré. The clayey limestone and the clayey gravels provided the grapes with freshness despite the hot, dry summer weather. The Cabernet Sauvignon gave a concentrated wine due to the small size of the berries. The Merlots kept a certain juicyness while the alcohol reasonable. The low yields have the consequence of offering a concentrated and very delicious 2020 Château Fourcas Dupré! In the Grand Vin blend, we have decided to put the Cabernets in the spotlight: their concentration, their aromatic expression gives a seductive gourmand. Pretty Merlots complete the palate with a rare juiciness. The wine (still in aging) presents itself very well, with a very open nose of very red berries. Ripe. Between the blackberry and the blackcurrant, we find the first spicy notes of the wood which enhance the fruity freshness. In the mouth, the texture of the fruit emerges very quickly with notes of cherry and raspberry. The wine is dense and silky. The finish is long; we find a persistent flavour that gives a juicy side to the wine.Winemaker's notes (Apr 2021)
Château Fourcas Dupré
A 46ha estate in Listrac, the highest point in the Medoc, with a mix of well drained soils, 80% Pyrenean gravels, 20% clay-limestone. Originally called Château Roulet, Jean Antoine Baptiste Dupré renamed the estate in 1843.
The vineyards are planted with 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Vinification is classical, with four weeks in vats, barrels and amphora, after which the wine is aged 14 fourteen months in french oak barrels, of which 25% are new each year. The consultant oenologist is Eric Boissenot.
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.