CHÂTEAU ROC DE CAMBES

2020 Côtes de Bourg

EN PRIMEUR

Made by François Mitjavile, who is perhaps better known for Tertre Roteboeuf in St Emilion, Roc de Cambes is a 12 hectare vineyard with very old vines that overlooks the Gironde in the Côtes de Bourg. The blend is 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec and on the day we tasted it was embarrissingly good compared to some of the Grands Vins in the same line up. Very refined sweet fruit but not over ripe (helped by being on the edge of a cool estuary). Delicate tannins, super tensile length.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.

The 2020 Roc de Cambes is a potent, reticent wine that is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Bright red-toned fruit, crushed flowers, blood orange, mint and dried herbs open first. Vibrant acids and open-knit aromatics lend energy as the 2020 gradually unfurls in the glass, with the Cabernet very much driving the flavor profile and overall feel. This exotic beauty is a total stunner. Give it time, though. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Roc de Cambes was one of the standouts from barrel. Now in bottle, I have to say that the new oak comes across very prominently on the nose, more so than I would personally like compared to the L'Aurage. On the palate, the oak is more assimilated, with fine tannins, touches of cooked meat/dried blood infusing the red fruit. Impressive in terms of weight on the finish. I'm just cautious about that oak on the nose, hence my prudent score. Rating: 90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Roc de Cambes opens with a huge bouquet of scorched earth, tar, licorice, gravel and incense. A rich, explosive wine, this is going to need at least a few years to come together, but it is impressive even in the early going. Inky red/purplish berry fruit, spice, leather and floral accents linger on the substantial finish. There is a lot of wine here. Drinking range: 2030 - 2045 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Roc de Cambes has a glorious , irresistible bouquet of ravishing dark cherries, blueberry, crushed violets and incense aromas; the oak here is very nicely enmeshed. The palate is medium-bodied and finely tuned, displaying supple tannins and a silky texture. There is wonderful harmony and palpable energy toward the finish. This actually challenges Tertre-Rôteboeuf, as if to say, why should you take the gold medal every year? It's that good. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

The perfume is astounding on this succulent wine with coffee beans, dark chocolate, Mirabelle plums and blackberry jelly confounding the senses. The oak is typically strident, too, with lashings of carpentry jousting with the fully ripe fruit. Of course, it is all in balance in spite of the overt enthusiasm of the components and, in common with the finer wines of this vintage, there is a cool, refreshing, mint-spiked finish that snaps the palate back into shape. While this may not be the most detailed Roc de Cambes in recent vintages it certainly provides a lot of fun on the palate and I applaud its generosity and joie de vivre. Rating: 17.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2021)

Smoky character on the attack, carefully interplayed with cloves, grilled tobacco, damson and red cherry fruits. Good stuff, nuanced and mouthwatering. Drinking range: 2022 - 2030 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

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.