SAINTAYME
2020 Grand Cru Saint Emilion
Orange peel and fruit with chocolate. Medium-bodied with round and polished tannins. Very pretty fruit and finesse. So pretty. Drink or hold. Rating: 93 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 Saintayme is every bit as charming as it was en primeur. Racy and layered in the glass, this mid-weight Saint-Émilion is quite open and accessible today. Crushed red berry fruit, spice, white pepper, rose petal and a touch of new oak are all nicely put together. I would give this a few years to come together, as the tannins are a bit nervy today. There's terrific energy and vibrancy here. Pretty floral accents liven up the finish. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
Plenty of St Emilion signature, with the lift and oyster shell salinity that you find on the plateau. Intense, bitter and tight at first, opening to show vivid bright plum and raspberry fruits. 30% new oak, harvest September 28 to 30. Noemie Durantou winemaker alongside Olivier Gautrat. Drinking range: 2024 - 2040 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (Feb 2023)
The 2020 Saintayme has opened up nicely on the nose since I tasted it from barrel. Black cherries, raspberry coulis, and a background estuarine scent. This is very well-defined and cohesive. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly granular texture, fine acidity, black fruit with a touch of orange rind, just a little rigidity on the finish that will be addressed by a couple of years in bottle. This is a lovely Saintayme that may deserve a higher score down the line. Drinking range: 2025 - 2036 Rating: 89 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
This is the most oak-dominant and driest of the esteemed Durantou portfolio and while the fruit is trying to be heard, there is a lot of chariness and dustiness in the way. I can see some lovely ripeness, but it will take a while to come to the fore and when it does I am certain that the oak will still be hanging around, making a nuisance of itself. Rating: 16+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Saintayme is bright, punchy and wonderfully vibrant. Sweet perfumed floral notes, red berry fruit, cedar and cinnamon lend terrific aromatic brightness. In 2020, Saintayme is a bit nervy and less fleshy than it can be. This is the first vintage made without microbullage, a technique that was previously used in some of the tanks here. I expect that will serve it well in the years to come, as the 2020 has an extra level of purity that is striking. As always, Saintayme is a selection from a 15-hectare property in Saint-Émilion's Saint Etienne de Lys district, made with a Burgundian approach in which the wine is vinified by the owner and then raised by the Durantou family. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 91-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
Another gem from Denis Durantou, the 2020 Saintayme should be snatched up by savvy readers, as it’s a year-in, year-out value, and in a vintage where Merlot excelled, it’s a real standout. Black cherries, mulberries, camphor, chocolate, and subtle oak notes all emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, balanced, and has a great mix of richness and freshness. Drink bottles over the coming 10-12 years. Rating: 91-93 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)
Deep crimson colour, plenty of deep bilberry fruits, firm tannins and good tension; a lot to like about this wine. Closes in on the finish, pretty serious in feel overall, muscular, but has the deft kick upwards that you find in many limestone-led wines in the vintage. The first year with Constance and Noemie Durantou at the helm, having taken over from their late father Denis (Noemie in particular had also worked alongside him for several years as winemaker, along with cellar master Olivier Gautrat). Drinking range: 2027 - 2042 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
A gorgeous red with so much black fruit and salty, mineral character. It’s medium-to full-bodied with creamy, polished tannins and a long finish. The precision and fine texture is impressive. One of the best I have had for a while. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)
Saintayme
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.