CHÂTEAU GRAND PUY LACOSTE
2024 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
78 Cabernet Sauvignon, 22 Merlot: 70% new oak: 38 hl/ha: 55% of the property went into the Grand Vin: Harvested between 25 September and 8 October There is always a sense of composure coupled with excellence at GPL. Nothing is hurried, nothing is panicked, and there is never a hair out of place. While many were losing their heads around this idyllic estate, a shrug of the shoulders and business as usual has resulted in a fabulously harmonious and balanced wine. There is more amplitude and depth here than I expected, with velvety Cabernet fringed with a glorious, redcurrant-driven Merlot border. Bright, floral, silky and alluring, this is a thrilling, medium-weight wine, and the tannin flourish on the finish is gorgeously fine-grained and teasing. GPL always rewards, and 2024 is no exception to this rule. Rating: 18.5/20 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2025)
In Bond
75cl bottles (wood case of 6)
* 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.
A very classic Grand-Puy-Lacoste that’s really clear, firm and linear. Mineral, delicate, perfumed and bright, it shows scented red berries and a touch of white pepper. The medium body is rounded by fine, dusty tannins and a long, very juicy finish. 78% cabernet sauvignon and 22% merlot. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2025)
Medium to full intensity inky plum colour, cold campfire and grilled cedar on the opening with vibrant plum fruits alongside, good quality, on the fresh side, but savoury and sappy with plenty of lift. 70% new oak for 17 months ageing. Drinking range: 2030 - 2044 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2025)
The 2024 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a light bouquet for this estate, primarily revealing fresh black fruit laced with tobacco and light smoky scents. It is simple but exhibits impressive delineation. You get the feeling that the aromatics are holding something back. The palate is medium-bodied and classic Pauillac in style with all that graphite-tinged black fruit and edgy tannins. This is not a complex Grand-Puy-Lacoste per se, but I admire its balance, charm and gentle grip on the finish. This is classy in an unpretentious way. Drinking range: 2032 - 2048 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2025)
78 CS 22 M 13.2% Some smoky graphite and dry grained cassis fruit to scent. Juicy violet aspects on the palate with fresh acidity and crunchy tannins, all in good harmony. Juicy fresh forest fruit on the finish. This is a classic claret style in a vintage which really suits it. Lovely wine which will endure longer than most, but equally will be enjoyable in relative youth, around seven or eight years after release. Rating: 91 Rod Smith MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2025)
Plump and juicy, the 2024 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is pure charm. This is an especially soft, fruity Grand-Puy-Lacoste with good aromatic presence and fine freshness, if not quite the depth or complexity of the very best years. Floral overtones lift the finish effortlessly. This is a delicate, understated Pauillac that will drink well with minimal cellaring. The balance between the 13% alcohol and 70% new oak is sublime. I won't be surprised if the 2024 turns out to be even better from bottle, especially if it gains a bit of mid-palate pliancy in barrel. Drinking range: 2032 - 2054 Rating: 91-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2025)
Château Grand Puy Lacoste
Pauillac Cinquième Cru 1855.
If there's an estate that can rival Lynch Bages for the crown of most over-performing 5th Growth, it would be Grand-Puy-Lacoste.
The "Grand Puy" is the low gravelly hill on which the vineyards sit. In 1750 a portion were sold to Pierre Ducasse and became, obviously, Château Grand Puy Ducasse while the rest, after a couple of name changes owing to inheritance by daughters, became Château Grand Puy Lacoste.
The Borie family bought into Grand Puy Lacoste in 1978 and began quite a renaissance for the property.
Just a few kilometres from the town of Pauillac, the vineyards of Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste total roughly 36 hectares (90 acres) with Cabernet Sauvignon making up 75% of the total plantings and the rest belonging to Merlot (20%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). Typical of the region, the vineyard consists of a deep gravel top soil on a limestone base.
Production is about 12,000 cases of wine in an average year. Fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, and then the wines are placed into oak barrels (50% new) for 18 months of aging.
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.