CHÂTEAU FONBEL

2024 Grand Cru Saint Emilion

EN PRIMEUR

Red plummy fruit and nice spices. Medium-bodied with fresh, smooth, fine-grained tannins. Juicy and lively, with balanced fruit. Soft, with a medium-long finish. 65% merlot, 31% cabernet sauvignon and 4% carmenere. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2025)

In Bond

75cl bottles (case of 12)

* 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.

High toned, almost sharp red fruit start the expression with lifted acidity. This is really quite a gentle expression, fruit is lively but there’s little density, instead there’s a soft layer of chalky tannins which gives the texture and mouthfeel. This works though, it’s harmonious and leans into the vintage taking fruity purity and delivery a charming glass of wine. A subtle chewiness lingers on the finish with raspberry, cranberry and some soft clove and cedar spices. There’s freshness though, cool mint all the way through. I like this light style. A yield of 45hl/ha. Ageing 30% one use barrels. 3.6pH Rating: 90 Georgie Hindle - Decanter (Jun 2025)

Soft, fragrant, charming. Crisp, bright, vivid plum fruit that has the most grip of the three Vauthier estates on the southern slopes of St Emilion. Harvest 20 September to 5 October. 1/3 in oak, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master. Harvest 20 September to 5 October. 1/3 in oak. Drinking range: 2026 - 2036 Rating: 90 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2025)

65 M 31 CS 4 Carmenère This has the usual rich and deep brooding spicy nose with oak already and good depth. Lush palate-coating black fruits with violet and juicy blackberries. Fresh acidity and vibrant inky dark fruit. No greenness, but a structure to the tannins with a long expansive finish. Will be one to look out for and needs a few years to come around. Rating: 91 Rod Smith MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2025)

The 2024 de Fonbel is soft and open-knit, with lovely forward fruit and a mid-weight build. Like many wines in this vintage, Merlot is down in the blend, in this case supplanted by a strong presence of Cabernet Sauvignon that gives the wine notable aromatic presence and structure. Blue-toned fruit, graphite, gravel, incense and licorice develop with some coaxing. Drinking range: 2026 - 2034 Rating: 89-91 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2025)

Amongst the best value wines in St Emilion is Château Fonbel. It is owned by Alain Vautier, owner of near-by Château Moulin Saint Georges and Château Ausone. The 16ha of vineyard are planted with a slightly atypical mix – there is 70% Merlot, nothing unusual for St Emilion; 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, very high for St Emilion; 7% Petit Verdot, possibly the highest percentage in St Emilion; and 3% Carmenère, possibly the highest percentage in Bordeaux.

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. Many properties specify a standard case format, and may make additional charges for six-bottle cases, for example. We offer wood cases of six bottles as standard where these are available without extra charge, but we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. If you want six-bottle cases where a 12 bottle case is offered, please check for the extra case charge. 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
  • +£9.50 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 2027. 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.