CHÂTEAU MARSAU
2022 Côtes des Francs
100% Merlot. Aged in 80% x 30hl foudre, 10% in one-year-old barrels and 10% a blend of vat and amphora. 25 hl/ha. The cumulative effects of organic viticulture and complex cover crop practices allowed this property to retain increased humidity in the vineyard. These twin techniques worked superbly to nourish the vines in the hot 2022 vintage. Harvest occurred between the 7th – 12th of September, and the forensic attention to detail in the vineyard, plus careful hand-harvesting, allowed more transparency of the soils in this glorious wine. This relatively early pick enabled winemaker Anne-Laurence Chadronnier to retain the necessary energies in her fruit to assemble a beautiful and remarkably relaxed wine. If this wine were a colour, it would not be ‘Merlot Red’, even though this is a monovarietal Merlot wine. It would be ‘Night Sky Black’, so not black at all, but the deepest of purple/blue. This is a dramatically intense wine with a refreshing edge that elevates the experience to a stunning, new, enlightened level of pleasure. This is an invigoratingly dynamic wine with superb, suave details and an unhurried sense of calm. It is deep, rich, bright, vigorous, silky and vibrant – a collection of anomalies that all seem to hang together easily. What is certain is that the unique 2022 season has come at the right time for the Chardonnier family. They have invested so much effort into this property over the years, and the vineyard often repays you handsomely if you plough as determined a furrow as you can. 18+Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.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.
Floral notes on the aromatics, shows the heavy spice of the vintage with black pepper, rosemary and turmeric notes, begins to lift through the palate as it opens. An unusual spot in Franc Côtes de Bordeaux with a lot of clay in the soils, and this is powerful and concentrated, with a flash of heat on the finish. 12ha vineyard, entirely clay, entirely Merlot, organic since 2018, no till farming, 25hl/h yield. Harvest September 7 to 12, to be aged 80% large oak casks (no new oak), 10% one year old, 10% neutral oak and amphora. Drinking range: 2024 - 2030 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2023)
A juicy and flavorful red with blackberry, chocolate and hazelnut character. Medium to full body. Structured yet juicy. Plenty of grip and structure. Savory. Salty. Most impressive wine I have had from here. Pure merlot. 80% aged in cask. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
This medium to full-bodied 2022 Marsau is an attractive wine produced from 100% Merlot. It has a delightfully pure bouquet of peony, violet, iris, menthol and cassis, followed by a crunchy and juicy yet fresh texture and then by a mineral-driven finish of remarkable purity, expressing elegant notes of licorice and pencil lead. Anne-Laurence and Mathieu Chadronnier have produced a red wine that punches above its weight. Bravo! Rating: 92-94 Yohan Castaing, www.robertparker.com (Apr 2023)
Château Marsau
Château Marsau is a well-known property in the small Bordeaux sub-region of the Côtes de Francs, but part of the property extends across the Départmental border into Dourdogne and is, thus, in AC Bergerac. This portion is the "Enclos de Bernerderie" and is planted with Cabernet Franc.
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.