CHÂTEAU POUJEAUX
2020 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel Moulis-en-Médoc
The 2020 Poujeaux has come together beautifully. Black cherry, leather, spice and menthol are promising at first. On the palate, the 2020 is a bit strict, with fine length and plenty of persistence, yet not fully expressive. I would be prepared to cellar this. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 90 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 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 Poujeaux is a wonderful Moulis-en-Médoc and likely to offer superb value-for-money. Bright blackberry commingles with blueberry and graphite on the nose, quite intense and determined to make an impression. The palate is structured but well balanced, the silver thread of acidity running from start to finish. A little glossy in style towards the finish, that will be tempered by bottle-age which Poujeaux always needs. Don't ignore this. Drinking range: 2025 - 2050 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
Ripe and pure initially, but a little lean on the back of the palate, this is a dark wine with decent freshness and attack and it ends up a little bit strict and sour on the finish, but this is not particularly surprising. While this will be a nicely balanced wine, given time, it seems a little pinched right now, however, I have every confidence that the pure Cabernet fruit will keep it on the right path. Rating: 16.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Poujeaux is jam-packed with inky dark fruit, graphite, cloves, lavender, licorice and a kiss of new French oak that will almost certainly integrate during élevage. Plush, engaging and flat-out delicious, with silky, perfectly ripe tannins and superb balance, this is looking to be another superb wine from the Cuvelier family. Drinking range: 2022 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Poujeaux was picked from September 17 to October 2 and matured in one-third new oak. It has a broody nose initially, gradually opening to display blackberry, brine and crushed rock aromas, certainly quite mineral-driven. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and fine grip, though the tannins are not aggressive. There is a hint of dark chocolate toward the finish, but maybe I’m seeking a little more on the aftertaste. This should gain more length during its élevage. Very fine. Drinking range: 2025 - 2050 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
Good depth of colour to the fruit, deep plum, with attractive fresh fruit aromatics. Confident tannic frame with acidity and black fruits - all the elements to ensure it will age. There isn't the richness of the fruit that you will find in 2016 but it is full of personality and easy to recommend. One of the more successful wines from Moulis in the vintage. Lots of tannins, and a point of bitterness on the close of play that needs to be carefully handled during ageing. A yield of 34hl/ha. Drinking range: 2025 - 2036 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot. Very dark core with purplish rim. Dark, savoury and a little bit oaky on the nose and the same character on the palate. The fruit is there at the core but there is absolutely no fruit sweetness until right at the very end, just dark and refined. Firm, slightly thick, chewy tannins. A little unyielding for now but harmonious. Drinking range: 2028 - 2035 Rating: 16+ Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)
Château Poujeaux
Château Poujeaux sits on the Grand Poujeaux, a Gunzian gravel mound of similar constitution to the more illustrious communes of the Haut-Médoc. Alongside Château Chasse-Spleen, Poujeaux is one of the leading estates in Moulis and offers great value to the discerning Haut-Médoc consumer. Moulis sits a little way back from the Gironde, between Saint Julien and Margaux. 16th century records show that the estate was owned by Gaston de L'Isle, then owner of Chateau Latour, although this is some time before wine production began at Poujeaux during the 19th Century. Since 2008 Château Poujeaux has been owned by Philippe Cuvelier, also owner of Saint Emilion estate Clos Fourtet. There are around 100 hectares of vineyard planted with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% 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 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.