CHÂTEAU MONBRISON
2020 Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Margaux
While the finish is dry and savoury, there is some nice fruit ripeness here and I welcome the red and black tones and also the fact that the oak is not too coarse. The main issue is the extraction and the tannins which seem to be too severe for the fruit. Only time will tell, but I would bet that this wine will even out in time. Rating: 16+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 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 Monbrison is a beautiful wine. Savory and pungent in the glass, the 2020 exudes terrific aromatic intensity, with plenty of floral, spice, black pepper and dried herbs. The 2020 is vibrant and maybe just a bit firm, but not in an unpleasant way. Monbrison is a wine that demands the taster's attention. It certainly has mine. Drinking range: 2030 - 2050 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Monbrison has one of the more opulent aromatics within the Margaux appellation, featuring top notes of violet and crème de cassis, quite rich if just missing a little complexity at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red and black fruit, fine depth and blueberry and traces of iodine and sea salt toward the finish. I would like more personality to show through once in bottle. Drinking range: 2024 - 2037 Rating: 88-90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
I think the 2020 Château Monbrison will certainly be an outstanding wine. Offering medium-bodied aromas and flavors of red and blue fruits, cedar, and exotic flowers, it offers velvety tannins, terrific overall balance, and outstanding length on the finish. This impressive Margaux will benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for 15-20 years. Rating: 91-93 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)
Powerful tannins, these really do take a bite out of you. Clear bilberry and blackberry, a juicy hawthorn hedgerow edge and some toasted oak. Attractive grip and lift, even with the austerity, and this will soften further over ageing. Tasted twice. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc. Very dark crimson with purplish rim. Warm, rich black fruit with what seems like a very nice, delicate and counterbalancing lift of red fruit from the Cab Franc. This shows on the the palate too. The tannins are layered and dry, supporting not dominating the fruit. Not particularly intense but harmonious, the tannins giving a refined, dry texture. Drinking range: 2028 - 2035 Rating: 16 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)
Château Monbrison
Château Monbrison is in the commune of Arsac, a near neighbour of Château du Tertre. Robert Davis, an American, bought the estate in 1921 when he married into a local family.
Owning a Bordeaux estate was not always an easy thing at a time of World Wars and Depression, and Monbrison’s vineyards were pulled up in 1939. Fortunately, Robert’s daughter Elizabeth had the foresight to replant the vineyards in 1963, initially selling the produce to Château Prieuré-Lichine but from the mid-1970’s producing wines of Château Monbrison in their own right. Today the estate is owned and run by Robert Davis’s grandson Laurent Vonderheyden.
Vineyards are planted with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.
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.