CHÂTEAU MONBOUSQUET
2020 Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
Very tight and linear with blackberries, chocolate and cedar. Medium- to full-bodied. Linear. Racy and pretty. Drinkable but better in three or four years. Rating: 95 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.
This is a hugely oaky wine with a deep, dark, sooty core of fruit and rather terrifying and potent tannins. I have seen this many times over the years, but there is also a 2020 signature here which gives this wine some hope. There is freshness and slight mintiness here which in other wines, particularly those found on the Left Bank in 2020, signals unripeness and when this is coupled with a lighter-framed wine, often Cabernet-dominant, it throws the wine out of balance. But in Monbousquet it works, just about bringing this wine back into line! Rating: 16.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Monbousquet is a heady, exotic wine. Blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, spice, new leather and espresso are all kicked up. Explosive and deep, the Monbousquet packs a serious punch. The tannins are pretty imposing today, but élevage should take care of that. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Monbousquet was cropped at 30hl/ha and underwent a five-week cuvaison and maturation in 50% new oak. Deep in color, it has an intense nose of multilayered black plum, loganberry, wild hedgerow and crushed violet scents. The new oak imparts a vanilla-y veneer, but that should be assimilated by the time this is bottled. The palate is medium-bodied with gritty tannins, quite a structured Monbousquet, the 15% Cabernet Sauvignon contributing graphite notes toward the fresh, seaweed-tinged, slightly bitter finish, which has a powdery texture. This is an intriguing Monbousquet made in a more classical style compared to recent vintages. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
Seemingly a perpetual smoking wine as well as a great value, the 2020 Château Monbousquet is no exception and has a deep, inky hue to go with pure, rich, powerful notes of smoky black fruits, chocolate, scorched earth, and subtle floral nuances. It’s a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, even tannic, yet pleasure-bent beauty I’d be thrilled to drink any time over the coming 15+ years. The blend is 70% Merlot and 15% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the alcohol is 14.6% with a pH of 3.75. Rating: 92-94 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)
70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Adequate fruit and freshness, the palate juicy and pure. Dark-cherry notes with a meaty edge. Oak sits in a little at present but should integrate. Overall well balanced. Drinking range: 2024 - 2035 Rating: 16+ James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)
Château Monbousquet
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.