CHÂTEAU MALESCOT SAINT EXUPÉRY

2021 3ème Cru Classé Margaux

EN PRIMEUR

49 Cabernet Sauvignon, 38 Merlot, 8 Cabernet Franc, 5 Petit Verdot | 60% new oak | 13% alc The oak is dominant and spicy, and the tannins seem pretty raw, but there is a mass of fruit in this wine’s core, so they have done something right in the vineyard. It will fall into line early in its life and provide rather exciting, hectic flavours, and then I expect it to run out of gas, or rather balance! But there is good fun and some genuine flair here, so dive in for early drinking if the price is right. Rating: 16.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2022)

* 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.

Attractive smoky oak, well handled grilled smoke aromatics. This is rich but harmonious and balanced and goes long on the Margaux floral aromatics. Soft on the finish but lots to enjoy. Harvest September 30 to October 20. An enjoyable wine in the vintage from owner Jean-Luc Zuger. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 90 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)

A tight and focused young red with redcurrant and blackberry character. It’s medium-bodied with racy and fine tannins and a linear, focused finish. Lots going on, yet it’s tight and energetic. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2022)

The 2021 Malescot Saint Exupéry has quite a high-toned bouquet with black cherries, blueberry and violet aromas, exuberant compared to its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine acidity, quite focused yet there is just a little dryness and abruptness on the finish. That might be remedied during its élevage so let's see how this turns out. I was anticipating a bit more from this excellent Margaux estate, but maybe it will meliorate in barrel? Not beyond possibility. Drinking range: 2028 - 2052 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2022)

The 2021 Malescot St. Exupery is a terrific effort, offering up aromas of sweet cassis and plums mingled with notions of licorice, espresso roast and toasty oak. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's impressively layered, with a sweet core of fruit, ripe tannins and lively acids. The dramatic style of the château has worked very well with the cooler, later-maturing vintage. The blend is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Rating: 92-94 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2022)

The 2021 Malescot St. Exupéry is another terrific wine from a property that has been trending towards finesse. The 2021 represents another step in that direction, helped by the vintage, of course. Red cherry, iron, blood orange, spice, tobacco and cedar build as this mid-weight, savory Margaux shows off its considerable charms. Pretty floral top notes accent the finish. Tasted two times. Drinking range: 2028 - 2046 Rating: 93-95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2022)

Margaux Troisième Cru Classé 1855
Simon Malescot laid the foundations for this estate when he purchased the land in 1697. In 1827 it was sold to Count Jean-Baptiste Saint-Exupéry, who appended his name to that of the château and added vineyard land from his family holdings. His extravagent life-style, however, led his widow to sell Château Malescot Saint Exupéry in 1853 to a banker called Fourcade who added the now defunct Château Dubignon to Malescot Saint Exupéry. In 1885 the present château was built. A sale of the estate in 1901 saw Château Dubignon split off again (selling for most of the next fifty years as Château Dubignon-Talbot), only to be re-incorporated into Malescot Saint Exupéry by Paul Zuger who bought the estate (together with Marquis d'Alesme Becker) in 1955. At the time, Malescot Saint Exupéry had just 7ha of vines and a reputation that had hit rock bottom. The Zuckers, now represented by the third generation Jean-Luc, have rejuvenated Malescot Saint Exupéry and it now has a reputation for good quality and good value.

Château Malescot Saint Exupéry can claim the great Château Margaux as its neighbour and lies, therefore, in the very heart of the appellation. The vineyards are planted to 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin spend 14 to 16 months in oak, with up to 80% of the barrels being new wood.

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.