CHÂTEAU PEDESCLAUX

2020 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac

EN PRIMEUR

A crunchy and fresh 2020 with sliced oranges and redcurrants as well as cedar and nutmeg. Full-bodied with very firm and tight tannins. Bright finish. Crushed stone at the end as well. Needs three to five years to soften. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 34% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot. First year with organic farming. Try after 2027. 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.

The 2020 Pédesclaux is a powerhouse. The tannins are a bit less searing than they were en primeur, but only slightly. Dark fruit, chocolate, leather, spice and licorice struggle to emerge. This feels pushed. Pédesclaux is a Pauillac that relies more on power than finesse. Drinking range: 2023 - 2030 Rating: 87 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

Matured in 55% new oak, the 2020 Pédesclaux, has a very Cabernet-driven nose as indeed, this Pauillac estate has been gradually moving towards the variety in recent years. Blackberry, freshly-rolled tobacco and light pencil box notes. This is clean and precise. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fresh and fleshy, yet there is backbone here with a gentle but insistent grip towards the smooth finish. Maybe it just needs a little more complexity overall, but this should still drink well for the next two decades. Drinking range: 2025 - 2050 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

I rarely see this wine during my En Primeur travels and so it is nice to have the chance to taste it this year. This is a success for Pédesclaux and it is relatively forward-drinking, too, which makes it a change of pace for a Pauillac. Dark fruited and a touch spicy, what I like most about this wine is that the tannins and oak are very much under control. Rating: 16.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Pédesclaux is a dark, powerful wine. Muscular tannins wrap around a core of inky dark cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather and licorice. This is not an easy wine to taste because of the searing tannins, which I am not sure will ever soften. It will be interesting to see how the Pédesclaux evolves in the coming years. The 2020 has a bit less Cabernet than the recent norm because of lower yields for the Cabernet and a preference for Merlot in this vintage. Pédesclaux remains a decidedly potent Pauillac. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 87-89 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Pédesclaux clearly possesses more complexity and terroir expression than the Deuxième Vin, featuring pressed iris and violet intermixed with blackberry and blueberry scents. There is an underlying mineralité/crushed rock note in the background that lends tension. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Saline and marine influenced, this is more sapid than maybe the previous two vintages, though it would benefit from a little more elegance and precision on the finish. But overall, this is a fine Pauillac. Drinking range: 2025 - 2050 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

I loved the 2020 Château Pédesclaux, which shows the fresher, more focused, vibrant style of the vintage while still bringing good depth of fruit and texture. Cassis, blueberries, violets, tobacco, and chocolate notes all emerge from the glass, and this beauty is medium to full-bodied, with a pure, focused mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's not massive, and I'd like more breadth, yet its purity and precision are terrific. Rating: 92-94 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

Appealing graphite and black cherry notes on the aromatics, a little subdued once you hit the palate, elegant, juicy, really needs time in the glass, fennel, those lovely wild herbs that add an extra dimension and kick, has persistency but is a little short. Juicy on the finish. Could move upwards in score after ageing. Drinking range: 2028 - 2046 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

Fascinating visit here with the winemaker Catarina Freitas in 2012. Catarina showed us the map of the parcels which were owned by the property at the time that it was bought in 2009, and then two others, showing how, by purchases and swaps, they has vastly reduced the number of parcels and are consolidating the vineyard.

This was also where we first saw Alessandro Masnaghetti's maps of the area, which is a fascinating insight into where all these wines actually come from.

Catarina explained that as a result of the strength of the co-operative movement in Saint Estèphe and northern Pauillac, properties passed down though families often got split into tiny plots. The previous owner, in a rush to expand the surface area, bought what he could. Sometimes this was just a couple of rows of vines in the middle of someone else's vineyard. This made vineyard management harder, and also made it difficult to see clearly what they had at vinification - it was impossible to vinify every tiny bit separately.

Winemaking includes pre-fermentary cold maceration that can last up to an astonishing fifty days. Like properties such as Charmail, they tried using dry ice to cool the harvest so as to make sure the fermentation did not start, but from 2011 on they are using a new method, which I have not come across anywhere before, which is to hold the harvested grapes in a cold room at 3C for twenty-four hours before beginning the egrappage and final sortings and putting them into vats.

We were also shown the proposed new winery, which will use the natural slope of the built part of the property down to the Gironde. It will be built into the hill and use gravity thoughout to avoid pumping. Make no mistake, there intent is very serious here and its a name to look out for.

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.