CHÂTEAU LA CLOTTE
2020 Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
Market Insight: Bought by Ausone in 2014 and sitting on some fairly hallowed terroir just off the limestone plateau, La Clotte seems to have everything in alignment for a serious profile boost. The 2019 is as yet unscored, which for something so new adds a degree of frustration, but it would be surprising if this didn't rapidly take off.L&S (May 2021)
* 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.
A very minerally La Clotte with lots of sea salt character. It’s medium-bodied with a brightness and firmness. Lovely fruit and intensity. Drinkable, but give it at least three to five years. Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
A very minerally La Clotte with lots of sea salt character. It’s medium-bodied with a brightness and firmness. Lovely fruit and intensity. Drinkable, but give it at least three to five years. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2023)
The 2020 La Clotte exudes depth and is intensely packed with dark red cherry, plum and blood orange fruit. Today, La Clotte is incredibly primary, with terrific fruit density but less in the way of aromatic complexity. That’s probably a very good thing for its long-term prospects, but readers will have to be patient. It spent 18 months in 100% new French oak, and there is some oak that still needs to integrate. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
The 2020 La Clotte comes from a small 4-hectare estate, rapidly becoming one of the Vauthier family's most coveted crus. This is another in the canon of outstanding recent vintages. It offers a mixture of red and black fruit, pain d'épices and crushed stone, gaining complexity with aeration while remaining very cohesive. The palate is very harmonious with finely-chiseled tannins, a seam of graphite imparted by the 15% Cabernet Franc, beautifully focused and refined towards the finish. This is a very classy Saint-Émilion, one that will require time. Drinking range: 2026 - 2050 Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
Anis, almond and marzipan on the nose. There is a subtle interplay of tannin and acidity, linear and direct, finishing up with a clementine and orange rind bitterness that also gives a sense of forward propulsion through the palate. Has definition and personality, and continues its improvements under the Ausone team. Moulin St Georges has more breadth, depth and texture through the palate - this has more of a limestone squeeze, giving plenty of choice depending on what you are looking for. Drinking range: 2027 - 2045 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
Château La Clotte
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.