CHÂTEAU NÉNIN
2020 Pomerol
A blend of 68% Merlot (harvested 8th to 16th September) and 32% Cabernet Franc (harvested 21st to 23rd September), the 2020 Nenin is aging in French oak barriques, 40% new. It has an alcohol of 14%, a pH of 3.65 and an IPT (tannin index) of 76. Deep purple-black in color, it glides effortlessly out of the glass with wonderfully pure notes of crushed blueberries, fresh blackberries and ripe red and black plums, plus suggestions of lavender, star anise and Ceylon tea with a waft of cast-iron pan. The medium-bodied palate is fantastically elegant and beautifully poised, featuring exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the perfumed red and black fruit layers, finishing long and mineral laced. A real head-turner! Drinking range: 2025 - 2048 Rating: (94 - 96)+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.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.
A very fine yet structured Nenin with racy and linear tannins that run the length of the wine. Black chocolate and orange peel. Medium to full body. Chocolate. Very long. Tight and intense. Real structure to this. 68% merlot and 32% cabernet franc. Needs five or six years to open and come around. Rating: 97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
The 2020 Nénin is compelling from bottle. Crushed flowers, bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, spice, leather and incense give the 2020 tons of aromatic and flavor complexity. The 2020 offers a striking balance of textural richness and vibrancy. I very much admire the energy and overall class here. Drinking range: 2025 - 2034 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
Excellent quality, kicking off with graphite and slate, juicy blackberry and damson fruit, with plenty of luscious Pomerol signature, combined with the more serious, tannic face of Nenin. 40% new oak, 3.65ph. Harvest September 8 to 23. An upscore from En Primeur. 38hl/h yield. 3% amphora for ageing for the 1st time with 45% new oak. Drinking range: 2025 - 2036 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Feb 2023)
The 2020 Nénin, which was matured in 40% new oak, has an attractive nose with mulberry and raspberry fruit, touches of truffle and warm gravel percolating through with time. I like the purity here. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins on the entry, crisp acidity, almost brittle in texture at the moment. Nicely focused, the 32% Cabernet Franc imparts a pleasing pepperiness towards the finish. This has a spring in its step, yet there is also a sense of seriousness that maybe was missing in older vintages. Worth seeking out. Drinking range: 2027 - 2050 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
This has real purity, with blackcurrant pastille, graphite and liquorice root. A touch of reduction at first, opening to show cleanly-spliced raspberry and blackberry fruit, excellent quality. A ton of potential, still reserved and holding itself back (this will remain in barrel until early summer 2022). 38hl/h yield. 3% amphora for ageing for the 1st time with 45% new oak. Drinking range: 2029 - 2048 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Feb 2022)
Nénin is owned by Domaines Delon (part of the Léoville Las Cases, Clos du Marquis and Potensac family) and this makes it yet another glittering success in 2020 for this elite group of estates. There are so many different styles of Pomerol in 2020 and unlike the deep, dark, monotonal wines from this hallowed region which are undoubtedly as impressive as they are imposing, Nénin has tempo and melody, detail and freshness and, embracing the musical them of this estate, it shows delightful timbre and also delicacy. Like a finely tuned orchestra as opposed to a relentless timpani drum, this wine is thrilling in 2020. Multifaceted, with a panoply of red fruit notes, green flecks and deeper tones beneath the glistening surface, there are even hints of exoticism here which end in a gorgeous crescendo of fine tannins and clean acidity. I love the new wax tops (introduced in 2019), too, which are superbly colour-matched to the label, ensuring that wine collectors will be able to locate this wine in record time, in their cellars, too! Rating: 18.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Nénin impresses with its density and backbone. At the same time, the 2020 possesses terrific freshness. As always, Nénin has a high percentage of Cabernet Franc (32%). At times, the Merlot and Franc aren't so well put together in the early going, but that is not at all an issue in 2020. I especially admire the wine's focus and overall sense of vibrancy. A host of floral, savory and mineral notes linger on the salivating finish. There's plenty to look forward to here. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Nénin now comes exclusively from the Pomerol plateau. It was picked September 8–16 for the Merlot and September 21–23 for the Cabernet Franc, and raised in 40% new oak. Whereas the Fugue de Nénin is open and expressive, clearly the Grand Vin cares little for showing its wares at this early stage, remaining tight-lipped for an hour before almost reluctantly opening with blackberry, thyme and gravelly scents, all well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and a fine bead of acidity. The Cabernet Franc imparts welcome pepperiness toward the latter half – not a million miles away from Trotanoy. This trait turns more toward a pencil lead note with continued aeration. A serious Pomerol that deserves 5–7 years in the cellar, but has the substance to give 30 years of drinking pleasure. Drinking range: 2027 - 2050 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
A blend of 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Franc raised in 40% new oak, the 2020 Château Nenin brings the intensity up a notch, offering a rock star nose of cassis and darker berries as well as crushed stone, graphite, chocolate, and violets. The purity is spot on and it has a precise, focused texture that's very much in the vintage, flawless balance, and a great finish. It's another gem of a Pomerol in the vintage readers will love to have in the cellar. For the tech geeks out there, the alcohol reached 14% and the pH was 3.65 with an IPT of 76. Rating: 94-97 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)
The classic Nenin pencil lead here - you get an intellectual approach to Pomerol at Nenin, with an opening of graphite and liquorice root, but it widens out to show fleshier style of ripe raspberry and black cherry. The tannins give a bite on the finish, and this is one I suggest leaving for a good six to eight years before drinking. 40% new oak, 3.65pH, IPT76. Harvest from September 8th to 23rd. A very good quality Nenin. From 8ha, really focusing only on the heart of the plateau. 40% new oak. Now using 5% amphoras for the Cabernet Franc, which has maybe given this touch of reduction. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
Château Nénin
Two things make Château Nenin standout from the rest of Pomerol – at 32ha it is considerably larger than most in in this crowded appellation; and Nenin has a real bona fide 19th Century château at its core rather than the more usual small shed. Infact it appears more along the lines of something one might find in the Haut-Médoc which is perhaps fitting as, since 1987, it has been in common ownership with Château Potensac and the great Saint Julien estate of Château Leoville Las Cases. As one might expect with such a noble stable-mate, quality has advanced rapidly in line with a lot of healthy investment in the estate. The vineyards are planted with 78% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon with an average age of around 30 years. The second wine is Fugue de Nenin.
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 2024 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.