CHÂTEAU LILIAN LADOUYS
2022 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel Saint Estèphe
Tasted at Chateau Pedescalux with winemaker Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen, the Lilian Ladouys is a broad and intense effort in 2022. They had hail here in June and lost about 30% of the crop, this forced them to up the percentage of Merlot, from limestone plots, which has been very successful adding a fresh undercurrent. Deep and dark there is impressive density and rich feel - but the crunch of blackberries and whiff of Violets tell the story of where this is from with great clarity. Very Saint Estephe - there is a purity and a directness to the fruit, lifted somehow despite the power and breadth. A charmer but more beefy than some although the tannins are super sleek too. The finish is long and has a fresh brush of minerality that drives it onwards. Impressive. Organic conversion began in 2020, with 100% in organic for the first time in 2021, with expected certification in 2024.L&S (Apr 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.
Intense colour, marzipan and fennel, caraway seeds, cracked pepper, very classic St Estèphe in that it has just a ton of cassis and bilberry fruit, with chewy tannins that have you wading through the mid palate. This is clearly extremely well made, almost 2010 in feel, with balance and confidence. Due for certifcation organic in 2024, now in conversion. Highest amount of Petit Verdot at this estate, lost around 30% of the crop through hail and frost in northern St Estèphe. 35% new oak barrels, alongside larger sized oak casks for ageing. Drinking range: 2026 - 2038 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2023)
The 2022 Lilian Ladouys, which was picked from 8 September, has the highest proportion of Petit Verdot in recent years and is aged in one-third new oak. It is fragrant on the nose, blackberry intermixed with raspberry and loamy scents, perhaps more understated than I was expecting, yet it opens nicely with modest aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly angular tannins. Quite firm and very saline with a seaweed tang toward the slightly gritty finish. It doesn't quite "flow" as I would have liked, hence my prudent score. Tasted twice with consistent notes. NB There is no Deuxième Vin this year. Drinking range: 2027 - 2045 Rating: 89-91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2023)
This very carefully made wine will be an excellent buy as it is elegant, fine and juicy, showing good fruit quality and saline, suave tannins. Very successful. Rating: 91-93 La Revue du Vin de France (May 2023)
The blend is 52% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot. The yields were reduced by up to 35% this year with the hail that hit the appellation. The aromatics are very fresh, with bright red cherry and blackberry fruits, with a backdrop of crushed chalk, vanilla and toast. This is followed by a sweet and rather velvety palate, with the same bright blackberry, cherry and toast character seen on the nose, with a plump middle filled with dark and vibrant fruit, with a rather finely polished core of tannins, with a lightly toasted edge of limestone. This works together very well, showing finesse, texture and harmony, culminating in a tightly grained finish. A fine Lilian Ladouys this year, with plenty of racy dynamism in the finish. Very well done. The alcohol is 13.97%. Tasted twice. Rating: 91-93 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (May 2023)
52% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Timid nose. Medium-bodied with adequate freshness. Smooth attack then a little chewy and chalky on the finish. Needs to settle. (JL) 14% Drinking range: 2028 - 2038 Rating: 16 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
The 2022 Lilian Ladouys is a dense, powerful wine. In most vintages, Lilian Ladouys is a bit lighter, but in 2022 everything is amplified. A shift in parcels and the style of the year have resulted in a serious, punchy wine with real breadth. Savory and earthy notes add complexity. Drinking range: 2025 - 2034 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2023)
Blackberries, blueberries and dark chocolate with some spice. Medium body. Firm and bright. Polished tannins. Very spicy with nutmeg and cloves at the end. 52% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 8% petit verdot. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
A Merlot-dominant blend, the 2022 Lilian Ladouys offers up rich aromas of dark berries, violets, charcoal and rose petals, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy palate framed by rich, youthfully firm tannins that assert themselves on the finish. Impacted by hail and with a very elevated pH of 3.95, this is something of a blunt instrument. Rating: 88-90 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)
Château Lilian Ladouys
This lovely Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in Saint Estèphe enjoys an enviable location on the Cos plateau, near to Calon, Montrose and Cos d'Estournel itself. The 80 hectare vineyard is 80% on gravel with a clay-limestone base, 20% on limestone-clay and is planted at 8500-10000 vines per hectare, with 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc.
The history of the estate can be traced back as far as 1654, when the property was in the ownership of Jacques de Bercoyan, a Bordeaux magistrate. By this time it was already known as La Doys, an obvious precursor to the Ladouys name of today.
The exciting modern history of the property began in 2008 when it was bought by Jacky Lorenzetti, and the family's investment was rewarded with the Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel classification in 2018. Since the purchase there has been many more deals to consolidate a coherent vineyard from the many parcels.
Lilian Ladouys is managed by Emmanuel Cruse, the consultant oenologist is Eric Boissenot. The work in the vineyard aims to make sure there is an even spread of bunches on the vines, and that these are well-ventilated (leaf-thinning). The earth is ploughed, with either sowing of ground-cover between the vines, or leaving nature to its own devices, depending on the vigour of each parcel. The grapes are harvested by hand, with sorting as bunches and again by grape after the de-stemming, after which the they go into the vats by gravity for a cold maceration prior to the fermentation. Extraction is managed by gentle délestage. The wine is aged in barrel, with 40% new wood each year.
The vineyard certified 'Haute Valeur Envionmentale' level 3. From 2020 they began conversion to organics with 20% of the vineyard, and all being well will complete conversion in 2023.
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.