CHÂTEAU LATOUR MARTILLAC
2020 Blanc Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
The 2020 Latour-Martillac Blanc has a more reserved bouquet compared to its peers, but still quite compelling, with crushed rock infusing the dried yellow flowers, white peach and chai tea scents. I could nose this all day. The very well-balanced palate is quite intense, offering a fine bead of acidity and plenty of tension and mineralité toward the saline finish. If I was going to spend my money on one dry white Bordeaux this year, it might well be this. Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (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.
The 2020 Latour-Martillac Blanc is a pretty wine, but it is also very light in body, just as it was en primeur. Lemon peel, dried flowers, chamomile, spice, mint and almond are nicely lifted. It would have been nice to see more on the mid-palate. Drinking range: 2023 - 2026 Rating: 87 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
Easy-going, subtle charm, finely boned structure, lime blossom and citrus, enjoyable, soft on the finish with plenty of charm. 44hl/ha yield, 25% new oak, with lees stirring. Diam cork closure. Drinking range: 2023 - 2030 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (Feb 2023)
The 2020 Latour-Martillac Blanc has shut down since tasting from barrel, yet it opens with yellow plum, jasmine and light frangipane scents. I admire the precision here. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, quite taut and well defined. Real precision on the finish that drags you back for one more sip. This is a classy dry white Bordeaux that will give immense pleasure over a number of years. Drinking range: 2024 - 2040 Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
The 2020 Latour-Martillac is a potent, brooding wine. Graphite, crushed rocks, game, scorched earth, menthol, lavender and chocolate are all kicked up in this searingly intense Pessac-Léognan. It will be interesting to see if the 2020 softens at all. Today, it is pretty tight, and yet there is quite a bit of potential. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
I love this white, it has confidence and power and a sense of direction as well as a slate minerality that drags though the palate in a good way. Savoury white fruit - good stuff. A yield of 44hl/ha, 25% new oak. 14 months ageing on lees. Drinking range: 2021 - 2030 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
The 2020 Latour Martillac Blanc has a fragrant nose of lemongrass, spiced pears and lime leaves, plus hints of fresh peaches and shaved almonds. The medium-bodied palate has an impressively racy backbone cutting through the intense citrus and stone fruit flavors, finishing long and zesty. Drinking range: 2024 - 2038 Rating: 91-93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (May 2021)
A dense yet fresh white with sliced lemon and cooked apple. Green mango, too. Phenolic tension. Full-bodied and layered. Solid phenolics at the end. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)
Château Latour Martillac
The 'tour' of the estate's name is a tower that stands in the main courtyard of the estate - it is all that remains of a 12th century fort. The rest of the fort was demolished and the stones used to built the château sometime in the 18th century. A Bordeaux wine merchant, Edouard Kressmann, purchased the estate in 1871 and the Kressmann family own and run it to this day. In 1930, the striking art-deco inspired label was created. Also in 1930, the word 'Martillac' was appended to the name to avoid confusion with any other Château Latours there might be. They produce both red and white Pessac-Léognan, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot vines being grown on the slightly higher gravel soils of the Martillac plateau above the château and Merlot, Sauvignon and Semillon growing on the clay/limestone land nearer the River Garonne.
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.