CHÂTEAU PEDESCLAUX
2021 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
At 29 HL/HA and with mightily low tannin levels, this is a masterclass in the restraint required this year, to showcase aromatics above concentration or volume. Brilliantly balanced, with pretty red berries and just a notion of dark plum flesh this is expressive and charming on the mid palate. The extraordinary, futuristic cellars here proving their worth in such a complicated vintage. Giving the team all the firepower necessary for careful plot by plot vinification and the gentlest of touches. Zippy, fine feel. Bright for sure and lots of finesse. With that fine line at the middle of sweet red fruit. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Élevage will be I'm just 60% new wood, so as to preserve that graceful feel.L&S (Apr 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.
Dark cherries, black currants, white pepper and graphite with a touch of dark chocolate and cigar box. I love the suppleness and the mid-palate fruit that give excellent width and flesh to this rather lean vintage. Medium to full body with more flesh than bones. The tannins are fine and sleek, and the finish, creamy and extensive. A commendable effort from this vintage. Shows lots of early appeal but will hold very well in the next five to seven years. Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Jan 2023)
Delicate, finessed, this is carefully extracted, well handled, with clear spice, white pepper, black pepper, cloves, blue and black fruits. Doesn't escape the austerity and subdued character of the vintage, but you get Pauillac typicity through the firm structure and the slate texture to the tannins. It opens beautifully, showcasing impressive aromatics. Good winemaking skills on display here from Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen. 3.68ph, 62IPT. Harvest 12% press wine. Harvest September 4 to October 5. 60% new oak. Tasted three times. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)
The 2021 Pédesclaux is a blend similar to the 2018 and was picked September 24 to October 5. It has a pure, oyster-shell-tinged bouquet that opens nicely with aeration, hints of brine coming through. You can almost smell the Gironde in this Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very well balanced and precise. A mote of cracked black pepper enlivens the finish. This should age well in bottle. Drinking range: 2025 - 2042 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2022)
The 2021 Pédesclaux presents strong Cabernet Sauvignon inflections to play off a core of dark red-fleshed fruit. Spice, menthol, tobacco and cedar follow, adding quite a bit of character to this flavorful, savory Pauillac. Drinking range: 2028 - 2041 Rating: 90-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2022)
Delicate, finessed, this is carefully extracted, well handled, with clear spice, white pepper, black pepper, cloves, blue and black fruits. Doesn't escape the austerity and subdued character of the vintage, but you get Pauillac typicity through the firm structure and the slate texture to the tannins. It opens beautifully, showcasing impressive aromatics. Good winemaking skills on display here from Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen. 3.68ph, 62IPT. Harvest 12% press wine. Harvest September 4 to October 5. 60% new oak. Tasted three times. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2022)
Offering up notions of sweet berries, licorice, loamy soil and spices, the 2021 Pedésclaux is medium-bodied, lively and fine-boned, with a pretty core of fruit, supple tannins and a giving, expressive profile. It's a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Rating: 89-90 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2022)
Gorgeous dark pinky purple rim to the glass. Beautifully expressive aromas, red and pink flowers - peonies, rose and violets and intense, chocolatey cola blackcurrant, just the best combination. Concentration and lift on the palate, this is darker and more seductive than the second wine, the perfume and the richness of the fruits with the dark liquorice tones draws you in and plays alongside the bright, light acidity. So you have focus and intensity as well as freshness and approachability. The two are not totally combined yet but such lovely elements going on and such precision on show. This has tension and a balance between refinement and power really led by the Cabernet Sauvignon. The bright cherry hit on the finish lingers too. A lovely set of wines this year - worth seeking out! 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.71pH. Ageing 60% new oak. 58% grand vin. A yield of 29hL/ha. In official organic conversion since 2019. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 92 Georgie Hindle - Decanter (Apr 2022)
Château Pedesclaux
Fascinating visit here with the winemaker Catarina Freitas in 2012. Catarina showed us the map of the parcels which were owned by the property at the time that it was bought in 2009, and then two others, showing how, by purchases and swaps, they has vastly reduced the number of parcels and are consolidating the vineyard.
This was also where we first saw Alessandro Masnaghetti's maps of the area, which is a fascinating insight into where all these wines actually come from.
Catarina explained that as a result of the strength of the co-operative movement in Saint Estèphe and northern Pauillac, properties passed down though families often got split into tiny plots. The previous owner, in a rush to expand the surface area, bought what he could. Sometimes this was just a couple of rows of vines in the middle of someone else's vineyard. This made vineyard management harder, and also made it difficult to see clearly what they had at vinification - it was impossible to vinify every tiny bit separately.
Winemaking includes pre-fermentary cold maceration that can last up to an astonishing fifty days. Like properties such as Charmail, they tried using dry ice to cool the harvest so as to make sure the fermentation did not start, but from 2011 on they are using a new method, which I have not come across anywhere before, which is to hold the harvested grapes in a cold room at 3C for twenty-four hours before beginning the egrappage and final sortings and putting them into vats.
We were also shown the proposed new winery, which will use the natural slope of the built part of the property down to the Gironde. It will be built into the hill and use gravity thoughout to avoid pumping. Make no mistake, there intent is very serious here and its a name to look out for.
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.