CHÂTEAU HAUT MARBUZET
2022 Saint Estèphe
The 2022 Haut-Marbuzet has a detailed nose, perhaps less precocious than I anticipated, focused with brambly red fruit, cedar and sous-bois aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, a fleshy middle, white pepper and clove toward a harmonious finish that gently fans out. There is a pleasing peacock's tail here - a very promising and classy Saint-Estèphe. Tasted three times. Drinking range: 2026 - 2048 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.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 lowest yields on record at the estate (30hl/hectare) have produced small, very concentrated berries that result in a very dense wine that also manages to seem fine and delicate. It indeed has plenty of tannins, but these are extremely silky. An Haut Marbuzet to remember, signed by Henri and Bruno Dubosq. Rating: 94-96 La Revue du Vin de France (May 2023)
This stands out for its confident and perfumed nose, which offers up dark and smoky aromas of blackcurrant, white peach, finely honed notes of oak, tobacco and a little touch of menthol, which in this context adds freshness and complexity. It continues on the palate with a very fine poise, with supple texture from the outset, maintaining this stance through the middle, with a ripe and nicely integrated core of tannins, and a sense of fresh and honest blackcurrant, dark chocolate and currant fruits. This holds together very well, through to a precisely honed finish, which allows the tannins to shine but not dominate. It has the dry grip of the vintage, but it feels balanced and correct. That menthol freshness adds a lovely touch. I see potential here. Rating: 91-93 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (May 2023)
Dark berries, spicy herbs and sea shell undertones. Graphite, too. Ripe but fresh and crunchy with medium to full body and firm, very fine, linear tannins. Long and mineral and delicate on the finish. Really attractive. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
A blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Haut-Marbuzet is a beautiful wine in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, sweet wild berries, cassis, mint and pencil lead, intermingled with hints of licorice. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and supple thanks to its ripe and velvety tannins, this is a deep, concentrated and vibrant Saint-Estèphe that is likely to number among the more attractive propositions of the en primeur campaign. Rating: 92-94 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)
Château Haut Marbuzet
Hervé Dubosq purchased this estate in 1952 and it is now run by his son Henri and his sons Bruno and Hugues. The hamlet of Marbuzet is situated just north of the Pauillac border, next to the vineyards of Cos d’Estournel. Plantings in the 61 hectares under vine are 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. It is this high proportion of Merlot that gives Haut Marbuzet its silky, seductive character. The Dubosqs prefer to plough rather than use herbicides and destem all of the fruit prior to fermentation. It was once Cru Bourgeois Exceptionel before the classification was abolished, but the wines are frequently better than cru classes from elsewhere in the Medoc.
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.