CHÂTEAU LAFAURIE PEYRAGUEY
2020 1er Cru Classé Sauternes
Aromas of honey, pineapple, orange peel and saffron follow through to a medium body, with medium sweetness and enticing dried fruits, apple tart and hints of spice. Clove and Chinese spices. 95% semillon, 3% sauvignon blanc, 1% sauvignon gris and 1% muscadelle. Drink or hold. Rating: 96 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 Lafaurie-Peyraguey is one of the most exotic, alluring wines of the year. Tropical fruit, crème brûlée, apricot, tangerine preserves and white flowers are all beautifully lifted. Deep and layered, but not at all heavy, the 2020 impresses with its exquisite balance and totally seductive personality. It is the sort of wine that is hard to move on from in a tasting. Memorable. Drinking range: 2026 - 2050 Rating: 94-97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Lafaurie-Peyraguey, picked at 7hl/ha and matured in one-third new oak, has a very perfumed, quite floral bouquet of yellow flowers fusing with the honey, orange pith and white peach scents. The palate is beautifully balanced with a viscous texture, hints of stem ginger joining the chorus line of tangerine, marmalade and quince notes, and harmonious on the finish. This is lovely Sauternes in the making. Tasted four times. Drinking range: 2025 - 2055 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
Burnt amber colour. There is a lot of intensity to this wine, a ton of orange zest, powerful truffle and apricot purée flavours and spliced citrus. A yield of 7hl/ha. 1/3 new oak ageing for 12 months; then in stainless steel for nine months. Tasted three times. Drinking range: 2022 - 2045 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
88% Sémillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc. Yield just 7 hl/ha. 15 days' fermentation then ageing in fine-grained French oak barrels (30% new) for 12 months then six months in tank. Deep, dark gold. Very sweet and rich on the nose. Then a bit diffuse/loose on the palate. Could do with a little more focus. Drinking range: 2023 - 2029 Rating: 16 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)
This is a dense, layered Sauternes for the vintage, with lots of dried apple, peach and orange, as well as spicy undertones from the botrytis. It’s full-bodied and flavorful. Serious for the vintage. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)
Château Lafaurie Peyraguey
Sauternes Premier Cru 1855 This was originally a fortification built at least as long ago as the 13th Century. By 1618, it was the home of Sieur Raymond Peyraguey. The vineyard business was developed by the Baron de Pichard, who bought the estate in 1742. Unfortunately for him, he lost his head in the Revolution and his château and vineyards were sold to a M. Lafaurie. The first half of the 19th Century saw Lafaurie-Peyraguey's reputation rise from nearly unknown to being ranked 3rd, behind ChâteauLa Tour Blanche and near neighbour Château d'Yquem in 1855. In 1879 a small portion of the estate was didvided off to become Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey. In 1917, Lafaurie-Peyraguey was bought by Désiré Cordier, who owned it until they sold to the Suez Group in 1984. The 40ha of vineyard are planted with 90% Semillon, 8% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle. The grapes are hand-picked and the wine fermented in wood, before ageing for 18 to 20 months.
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.