CHÂTEAU LA VIOLETTE
2020 Pomerol
Market Insight: Absolute scarcity again plays a factor here. On average, only 250 cases are made - a result, back vintages like the 2010 are nearing £5,000/6. If you're lucky enough to find an allocation, don't turn it down.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 juicy and very rich wine with lots of fruit and dried spices, such as nutmeg. It’s full and layered with round tannins and a firm finish. Tense and poised. Drink after 2026. Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
The 2020 La Violette is sensual, delicate and nuanced. This has come together well. Lifted floral top notes and silky tannins give La Violette a good deal of finesse. The 2020 is impeccably balanced. There's plenty of unctuous, jammy fruit but less of the overt weight of some previous years. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
A juicy and very rich wine with lots of fruit and dried spices, such as nutmeg. It’s full and layered with round tannins and a firm finish. Tense and poised. Drink after 2026. Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Dec 2022)
The 2020 La Violette is bold and luscious in the glass. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, licorice and lavender gain resonance and depth with a bit of coaxing. There is quite a bit of richness, in keeping with the style here. Sadly, this sample was not particularly fresh when it arrived, and that only begs the question: Why even bother sending a sample that was old before it left Bordeaux? Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 91-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 La Violette has a sumptuous rather than decadent bouquet of billowing black cherries, crushed blueberry, kirsch and touches of orange pith, well defined and gaining even more intensity with aeration. The palate is full-bodied with very ripe, plush black fruit laced with marmalade, white pepper and light prune and date notes. I do find this a little too heady and alcoholic toward the finish, unlike some recent vintages that have displayed more precision and restraint. This is a modern Pomerol that oozes hedonism, but this year, I find Le Gay more to my taste. Drinking range: 2027 - 2050 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
Emerging from the team at Château Le Gay, the 2020 Château La Violette is just a stunningly elegant, medium to full-bodied Pomerol that’s as pure as they come, offering gorgeous notes of red, blue, and black fruits, violets, iron, and chalky minerality. It’s relatively forward and supple on the palate, with moderate acidity, but the balance is spot on, it has silky tannins, and it just sings on the finish. This thrilling Pomerol is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades. Rating: 94-96 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)
As ever this is silky, seductive and broad shouldered. Essence of Pomerol and yet entirely itself. Michel Rolland and Mikael Laizet consultant. A yield of 30hl/ha, just 1.7ha Drinking range: 2027 - 2044 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
Plenty of blackberry, dark-chocolate and treacle-tart character, yet it remains fresh and vivid. It’s full-bodied with vivid fruit and intensity. Creamy tannins and a fruity finish. Fine texture. Framed and formed. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)
Château La Violette
The wines of Château la Violette should be good but, in truth, have only achieved their potential since the vineyard was bought by Catherine Pere-Verge in 2006. The 1.6 ha vineyard sits atop the Pomerol plateau, next to Château Trotanoy and very near Le Pin. Another plot of vines near to Feytit Clinet that came with the purchase is now used for Château Montveil in order to preserve the absolute quality of Château la Violette. With no chai at la Violette, the wines are made at Château le Gay. It is a tiny vineyard – 1.8ha – and the yields are very small. The vines, many of which are over 60 years old, are 100% Merlot and are planted on clay and gravel soil.
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.