CHÂTEAU PIBRAN

2020 Cru Bourgeois Pauillac

EN PRIMEUR

Pibran is really well placed between Pontet-Canet & Pedesclaux and made at Pichon-Baron by the same team there - so not surprisingly perhaps, it is really quite a classy offering this year. Lots of smoke - and high-toned cherry liquor on the nose. Palate follows with crisp clean-lined dark fruit. earthy too - quite poised and classic in feel. Yet there is a nice weight of softer, more aromatic fruit too - that adds an approachable charm and a long-satisfying finish.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.

A firm and fresh red with blackcurrants and chocolate. Hazelnut. Medium to full body. Blueberries. Crushed stone. Extremely well done. Better after 2026. Rating: 95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)

The 2020 Pibran is a potent wine. Black cherry, plum, mocha, licorice and chocolate are nicely dialed up in this rich, heady Pauillac. Soft, plush and exuberant, Pibran is a total charmer. Best of all, it will be ready to drink with minimal cellaring. Bright acids and floral notes lift the finish. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Pibran has one of the earthier aromatics, quite floral and becoming spicier with aeration. It just needs time to knit together. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit, quite tensile with a linear, slightly conservative yet fresh finish. Maybe just missing a little persistence on the aftertaste. Drinking range: 2024 - 2034 Rating: 90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

Once again, the 2020 Pibran is terrific. Inky, creamy, and resonant to the core, the 2020 dazzles dark red fruit, cedar tobacco, licorice and menthol all blast out of the glass in this inky, opulent Pibran. Rich and seductive Pibran is a wine that will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 91-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Pibran has an attractive, quite earthy, almost peaty nose with lifted blackberry and briar scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a little chewiness on the entry, and quite fleshy on the midpalate. Hints of sour cherry and sea salt line the finish. Tasted from both test tube sample and 75cl bottle, the latter showing a little more delineation and spiciness on the finish. Drinking range: 2024 - 2034 Rating: 89-91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon 50% new oak for 18 months This is a plump, juicy Pibran with a mass of black fruit which crowds the palate as soon as you take a sip. Bold and relatively forward with dusty but not aggressive tannins, this is a classically shaped Pibran and it manages to taste refreshingly ‘Pauillacais’, too, which adds a dash of glamour to proceedings. Rating: 16.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2021)

More cassis, earthy blackcurrants, tobacco, and lead pencil notes dominate the 2020 Château Pibran, and it has a more straight, focused, structured style on the palate, with the vintage's freshness and purity front and center. The tannins are ripe and polished, and it has good concentration, nicely integrated oak, and a great finish. It's another terrific wine from this brilliant team. The blend is 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. Rating: 92-94 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 Pibran is being aged for an estimated 18 months in French oak, 50% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little shy to begin, requiring considerable swirling to unlock wonderfully pure scents of crushed blackcurrants, fresh blackberries and wild blueberries, plus hints of lilacs, wild sage, pencil lead and cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate coats the mouth in expressive, well-defined black fruits, supported by grainy tannins and well-balanced acidity, finishing long and mineral laced. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (May 2021)

Deep black fruits on both the aromatics and attack. Pure, intense and finely-drafted tannins suggest careful extraction during winemaking. Beautifully minty fresh finish, this is excellent quality and easy to enjoy. 50% new oak for 18 months ageing. Around 38hl/ha yields. Drinking range: 2023 - 2036 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample. Full and broad with a little sweetness from the Merlot then the Cabernet brings it together providing firmness and direction. Slight glow of alcohol but adequate freshness. Drinking range: 2026 - 2035 Rating: 16.5 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)

Château Pibran, now under the guidance Christian Seely and the AXA-Millesimes team, produces with good complexity, weight and concentration. Its 9.5 hectares of vineyards stretch across a well-drained gravel bank and border those of Mouton-Rothschild, Lynch-Bages and Pontet Canet. They are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petit Verdot (5%). The wines are vinified at Pichon-Baron. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and the wine is matured for 12-15 months in barriques (50% new). Pibran is classified as a cru bourgeois but is now producing wines the equal of many of its more highly classified neighbours.

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.