CHÂTEAU MEYNEY

2020 Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Saint Estèphe

EN PRIMEUR

Bright and easy at first glance. As you hold the wine in your mouth it opens up to show gently generous black-currants some kirsch and lovely ripe blackberry fruit. Spicy too and with a lovely gentle brightness. This graceful, pure feel and light touch underplay the serious potential here. Quite striking in 2020 this delicious Meyney will delight for many 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.

The 2020 Meyney turned out beautifully. Fresh, vibrant and full of character, the 2020 impresses with its energy and delineation. Dark cherry, rose petal, blood orange, sage, mint and white pepper all race out of the glass. The 2020 is bold and yet refined. There is certainly plenty to admire. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Meyney has a very estuarine infused bouquet insofar that you could imagine looking out over the Gironde Estuary on some overcast winter's day. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very well balanced with an elegant bead of acidity. Plenty of freshness and focus towards the finish, this is a splendid Meyney that continues it good run of form. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

While several estates in this commune have dropped the ball in 2020, Meyney looks bright, firm, layered and, dare I say it, rather grand. I have never really felt drawn to buying this wine over the last 35 years, but I might make an exception in 2020. This might very well turn out to be a hidden gem in this vintage! Just be sure to give it enough time to allow the tannins to ease. Rating: 17+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Meyney is a very pretty if somewhat understated wine. In 2020 it has a bit less opulence than in the recent past, but that's not a bad thing at all. Silky, elegant and refined, featuring aromatic red fruit character, gravel, cured meat, scorched earth, spice, crushed rocks and rose petals. Drinking range: 2026 - 2028 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Meyney has a lively, quite powerful nose delivering plenty of blackberry, boysenberry and briar scents, plus touches of freshly tilled loam and wilted iris flower; I appreciate how forthright this is. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins and graphite-laced blackberry. Quite citric toward the finish, showing Pauillac-like pretentions. This is a classy Saint-Estèphe from Meyney that will age with style. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

Another wine worth seeking out, the 2020 Château Meyney shows the fresh, focused, yet also ripe style of the vintage nicely. Offering lots of pure cassis and black cherry fruits as well as tobacco and classy oak, it’s medium to full-bodied and has a pretty, elegant texture, plenty of mid-palate depth, and ripe yet certainly present and firmer tannins. I love the overall classic vibe as well as its purity and freshness. Rating: 91-93 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

A punch of bright plummy fruits, a little austere on the finish but one that you feel will age well. Mocha and coffee bean through the mid palate, keeping things moving right along at a fair pace, with a generous handful of rosemary and sage spice on the finish. Harvest 16 September to October 1. Always one of the real value picks in St-Estèphe. Drinking range: 2025 - 2038 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

A firm, intense red Bordeaux with blackcurrants and purple fruit, as well as hints of walnuts and some sweet tobacco. It’s full-bodied and dense with layers of fruit and tannins. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)

Chateau Meyney in St. Estephe has a long history starting in the 1662, when it is mentioned in records as a convent, making it one of the oldest estates in the Médoc. It occupies a gravelly bank facing the Gironde and is a neighbour of Montrose.

The 51 hectare vineyard with vines averaging between 35 and 40 years old is planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot. The gravel based terroir has a large streak of blue clay close to three metres thick.

In 2004, Meyney was bought by CA Grands Châteaux, also owners of Château de Rayne Vigneau and Château Grand-Puy Ducasse. They have employed Hubert de Boüard as consulting oenologist.

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.