CHÂTEAU LA LAGUNE
2020 3ème Cru Classé Ludon
The wine here is aged half in traditional new oak barrels - and the remainder in small concrete eggs. The results are very good! Aromatic and nicely floral on the nose, red fruits here but soon turns quite dark and serious. Attractive shape and feel overall, but really quite intense with a dark fruit line at the core. Lovely polished tannins don't completely hide the firm frame. Finishes with an admirably 'Trad' feel and flow. Very good.
The hot and dry summer means that the 2020 harvest is smaller than 2019 by 10-15%. a much repeated story this year. However, the La Lagune team are really pleased with how the vines coped with the drought and put their resilience down to the organic farming that has been practiced here for years.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 focused and savory red with sleek and tight tannins. Very precise. Medium-bodied with fresh herbs, currants, blackberries and oyster shells. Stones and dried flowers, too. Fine finish. Tannins are round and complete. Already approachable. From biodynamically grown grapes. Better after 2025. Rating: 95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
The 2020 La Lagune is terrific. Rich, bold and explosive in the glass, the 2020 offers up a wild array of aromas and flavors. Spice, dried red cherry, cedar, tobacco and white pepper abound. More than anything, I very much admire the vibrancy and overall energy here. A whole range of floral and savory accents punctuate the finish. Drinking range: 2026 - 2042 Rating: 93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
The 2020 La Lagune, bottled in mid-June 2022, retains the intense Cabernet-driven bouquet that I observed from barrel. Blackberry and cigar humidor, the latter ebbing with aeration to reveal iodine and violet petal scents, just a hint of morels in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with quite "thick" tannins on the entry due to the slightly higher percentage of Cabernet. Structured and grippy, there's just a little bit of rusticity towards the balsamic finish. This will require three or four years in bottle. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
The 2020 La Lagune is a real standout. Intense, soaring aromatics give this racy Haut-Médoc tons of allure. Graphite, dried herbs, leather, menthol and licorice explode from the glass. A wine of unreal dimension, pedigree and class, the La Lagune is simply lights out in 2020. Time in the glass brings out gorgeous red/purplish fruit intermingled with sweet floral notes that add striking inner perfume. Drinking range: 2030 - 2050 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 La Lagune offers intense Cabernet scents on the nose, the black fruit, tobacco, humidor and light cedar scents bursting from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins that frame the crisp black fruit. This is a classic Médoc with just the right amount of structure and dryness, partnered with assiduous sapidity that gets the saliva flowing. It should gain a little flesh during its élevage. You might call this "proper Claret." Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 La Lagune strides confidently out of the glass with bold, fantastically pure black fruit notes of crushed black plums, ripe blackcurrants and juicy blackberries, plus hints of tar, dried Provence herbs, star anise and smoked meats, with a hint of black truffles. The medium-bodied palate delivers tightly wound, bright, crunchy black fruits with plenty of freshness and an approachable, grainy texture, finishing long with loads of earthy and herbal sparks. Drinking range: 2026 - 2042 Rating: 92-94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (May 2021)
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot 50% new oak 14% alc 35 hL/ha This is a stunning La Lagune with sensational energy, grandeur and poise. The fruit is lusty, dark and resonant and the oak adds to this wine’s flair as opposed to masking its promise. The finish is prodigious and the flavour barely falls away as it ticks along. Fabulously classy and laser-sighted to this wine’s precise location, this is a must-buy in 2020, assuming that the pricing is fair. It manages to sum up everything that I both like and respect about this historic property in just one glass. Rating: 18+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2021)
This comes in strong with both grip and attitude. Some austerity that shows through in the abundant tannic frame, but there is a juiciness that runs through the palate, a sense that it is light on its feet. Liquorice, black chocolate and a spiced tomato leaf adds layers, but things close down on the finish. This is certified organic and in biodynamic conversion. A yield of 30hl/ha. Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
A firm, polished red with tight, focused tannins that flow across the palate. It’s medium-to full-bodied with good length and a gorgeous finish. From organically grown grapes. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Certified organic and in conversion to biodynamic farming. Very dark with purplish rim. Pure left-bank Cabernet aroma that is both intensely cassis but also with a layer of cedar and a hint of stone-dust minerality. A freshness to the aroma without obvious herbaceousness. Super-fine tannins. Pure and fresh on the palate, a hint of dark chocolate and already showing real elegance in the finesse of the dry almost sinewy tannin texture. Lovely young wine without extremes. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 16.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)
Château La Lagune
Haut-Médoc Troisième cru 1855 Château La Lagune is the highest ranked property outside of the principal Haut-Médoc appellations. It is in Ludon-Médoc, about halfway between the village of Margaux and the city of Bordeaux. Like so many Bordeaux estates, the early 20th Century was a period of considerable decline - by the time La Lagune's saviour George Brunette bought the near derelict estate in 1958 there were just 4ha of vineyard left. He set about a whirlwind renovation and a complete replanting of the vineyard, although a few short years later, in 1961, he sold La Lagune to Champagne Ayala. Today, Château La Lagune is owned by the Frey family who continue to drive the estate forward. The 80ha of sandy-gravel vineyard are planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and an unusually high 10% Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin spends 18 months in wood, with 55% being new every year (down from a previously over impressive 100% new). Interestingly, once La Lagune barriques have been used twice, they are sent off to the Rhône to be used by Paul Jaboulet, also owned by the Frey family. Today, Château La Lagune is one of the wines to look out for in the Haut-Médoc, usually outperforming its Third Growth status, whilst its less than lofty appellation keeps a lid on the price. Certified organic from the 2016 vintage.
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.