CHÂTEAU GRAND PUY LACOSTE
2021 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
A refined, classic Pauillac with cassis, pencil shavings, ash and cherries. Juicy and really fine on the palate with silky tannins unwound into a layered, long finish. A refined, elegant interpretation that does not fall short on intensity. Real finesse here. Already delicious, but can hold, too. Rating: 95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Dec 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.
85 Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 Merlot | 75% new oak | 13% alc | 40 hl/ha This wine uses the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever at GPL because, as Christel Spinner explained, ‘the Merlot lacked concentration’. Nevertheless, yields were spot on, so the Grand-Puy-Lacoste team is justly excited about this wine. This is a fine-boned, super-intense, but equally weightless Cabernet-dominant wine with epic purity and freshness that bites at the palate on the finish. I am keen on this style of wine because the fruit notes linger for minutes, and yet they also leave the palate refreshed and wanting more. The classiness, Pauillac signature, silkiness and elegant framework make this a compelling prospect. Rating: 18.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2022)
Very fine and polished tannins with lovely balance and beauty. Blackberries, blackcurrants and a creamy texture. Lovely finesse and focus. There’s delicacy and beauty to this. 85% cabernet sauvignon and 15% merlot. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2022)
Traditional and clasic Pauillac character, a little more old school than usual, certainly than the last few years. Plum, cassis, cocoa bean and liqourice keep things firm, with straight-laced tannins tight and pulled in. Will soften further over ageing, and no question that this is delivering appellation typicity. Tasted twice. 75% new oak, harvest September 24 to October 8. Drinking range: 2028 - 2043 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)
The 2021 Grand Puy Lacoste was picked from September 24 to October 8 at 40hL/ha, and matured in 75% new oak. There is quite a conspicuous gap between this and the Deuxième Vin this year, the Grand Vin delivering much more cohesion and fruit intensity: blackberry, tobacco, mahogany bureau and a touch of sage. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, well balanced, and predictably unapologetically classic in style. If you love GPL, then you're going to appreciate this return to its quintessential style after three opulent vintages. Drinking range: 2026 - 2055 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2022)
The 2021 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is fabulous. Bright and punchy, with terrific aromatic presence, the 2021 is a terrific example of the modern classicism of the year at its best. It's the sort of wine that needs years or maybe even decades to truly blossom, and yet all the requisites are there for that to happen. There is something about Grand-Puy-Lacoste that is absolutely striking in 2021. I can't wait to taste it from bottle. Tasted two times. Drinking range: 2031 - 2061 Rating: 94-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2022)
The 2021 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a beauty, bursting with aromas of dark berries, plums, rose petals, violets, warm spices and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, it's fleshy and enveloping, with melting tannins, succulent acids and a pleasure-bent, demonstrative personality. While it's clear that this is an irresistibly charming, satisfying Pauillac from the Borie family, it wouldn't surprise me to see it acquire additional depth, flesh and seriousness with further barrel maturation. Rating: 92-94+ William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2022)
Château Grand Puy Lacoste
Pauillac Cinquième Cru 1855.
If there's an estate that can rival Lynch Bages for the crown of most over-performing 5th Growth, it would be Grand-Puy-Lacoste.
The "Grand Puy" is the low gravelly hill on which the vineyards sit. In 1750 a portion were sold to Pierre Ducasse and became, obviously, Château Grand Puy Ducasse while the rest, after a couple of name changes owing to inheritance by daughters, became Château Grand Puy Lacoste.
The Borie family bought into Grand Puy Lacoste in 1978 and began quite a renaissance for the property.
Just a few kilometres from the town of Pauillac, the vineyards of Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste total roughly 36 hectares (90 acres) with Cabernet Sauvignon making up 75% of the total plantings and the rest belonging to Merlot (20%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). Typical of the region, the vineyard consists of a deep gravel top soil on a limestone base.
Production is about 12,000 cases of wine in an average year. Fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, and then the wines are placed into oak barrels (50% new) for 18 months of aging.
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.