CHÂTEAU MARGAUX
2024 1er Cru Classé
93 Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 Merlot, 1 Petit Verdot, 1 Cabernet Franc: 12.8% alc: 30 hl/ha: Harvested between 23 and 29 September with a reduced team and again between 30 September and 8 October with all pickers mobilised: this wine represents 46% of the harvest It was a challenging vintage at Margaux, with high levels of mildew, and the Merlot vines on clay soils were severely affected. The yields in some plots were as low as 8 hl/ha, and yet, by contrast, some of the Cabernet, on gravel soils, were up around the 50 hl/ha mark! Some of these Cabernet plots were ready for harvest surprisingly early, and this explains why Margaux produced more Grand Vin than expected. Another point of interest is the inclusion of Cabernet Franc in the blend. Margaux planted more Cabernet Franc 15 years ago, and it stepped up to the mark in 2024. Margaux MD Philippe Bascaules thinks this grape will play a more and more pivotal part in Margaux’s makeup in years to come. The Grand Vin is slightly riper than the Pavillon selection, and it certainly has more pronounced tannins and better integration. Philippe feels that “Softer and denser is the aim”. There is a beautiful level of concentration and finesse here, coupled with balletic poise, and the tannins are gossamer-smooth, pristinely clean, and invigorating. If you love refined, silky, concentrated wines with little bulk or overt muscle, this wine will be at the top of the tree in this vintage. For my part, I awarded this wine a 19+ in my notes until the very last moment of my tasting. Revisiting for one last sip, I bumped this wine up one-half of a point because the freshness on the finish and the astoundingly pure tannins make this a rare and magical wine with a true medium-weight chassis and thrilling refinement. Rating: 19.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2025)
In Bond
75cl bottles (wood case of 3)
* 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.
Such a floral wine, aromatics that really take hold and grip on through the palate, raspberry, black cherry, edges of rosebud, chalk, white tea, crayon, chalk, iris, has real precision, and a slow-burn unspooling of flavours, salted cracker salinity on the finish. 46% of the overall production is in Château Margaux, 30hl/ha yield after sorting through the year as needed. Harvest September 23 to October 8. Philippe Bascaules director, 3.62ph. Excellent quality, one of the wines of the vintage, with a slightly earlier starting date for drinking than usual, eight years following harvest. Drinking range: 2032 - 2050 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2025)
Really impressive depth, concentration and perfume this year, with fine tannins. Lots of violets, red flowers, black cherries and currants. Full-bodied and seriously structured, with impeccable freshness and a very long finish. Dense and powerful for the vintage, with tension, vibrations, good concentration and a tannin framework. 93% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot, 1% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Rating: 97-98 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2025)
Representing 46% of the total crop (a little higher than recent years due to higher yields in the best Cabernet blocks), the 2024 Château Margaux contains slightly less Merlot (5%). It has a sophisticated bouquet in the context of the growing season, with black fruit, pressed violet and hints of pencil box that almost lend a Pauillac-like allure. Very fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and modest depth. This is clearly a leaner Château Margaux compared to, say, the 2020 or 2022, but it is razor-sharp with superb tension and mineralité. Unapologetically classic in style with modest length, this noble First Growth will benefit from four to five years in bottle. Drinking range: 2030 - 2055 Rating: 94-96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2025)
93 CS 5 M 1 CF 1 PV 12.8% Beginnings of oak spice here and with the characteristic Margaux perfume underneath - violets and rose, as well as saturated blue fruit. Inviting. If there is one property that can afford to lessen the exuberance and still win, it is surely Margaux, and so it proves. Already a silkiness and mouth-flooding quality to the texture with layer upon layer of blue and black fruit flavour, violets sweet herbs and spices. This is a classic Margaux, less fleshy and ebullient than in a normal or warm vintage and with the tannins - fully ripe but more noticeable than usual - needing their time in oak and then bottle fully to integrate, but all the elements are there. A testament to the work in the vineyard that was necessary to craft great wine in this vintage. Rating: 95 Rod Smith MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2025)
The 2024 Château Margaux is quite soft and delicate. It shows fine delineation in its aromatics and on the palate, but it's distinctly on the lighter side, even for Château Margaux. The mid-palate and finish are a touch compact, while there is a bit of edginess in the tannins that needs time to resolve. Bright acids and the lack of fruit pliancy expose the tannins at this stage. Élevage will be everything. Château Margaux is a bit of a question mark. Drinking range: 2034 - 2054 Rating: 93-95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2025)
Château Margaux
1855 classification - Premier Grand Cru Classé Margaux, originally La Mothe de Margaux, has a long history dating back to at least the 12th Century. By the 17th Century, Margaux was widely recognised for the quality of their wines - in 1771 Château Margaux was the first wine sold by Christies, and Thomas Jefferson bought some Margaux when he was Ambassador to France. The French Revolution was a turbulent time for Margaux but, by the turn of the 19th Century, the estate was in the hands of the Basque Marquis de la Colonilla who's singular contribution was to build the château that we see today. Margaux's reputation was recognised by the 1855 classification which placed it among the elite group of Premier Grand Cru Classés. By the 1960's, however, Margaux was trading as much on reputation as anything else and a run of poor vintages in the 1970's led Margaux to be sold. This was its salvation, for the purchaser was André Mentzelpoulos who, despite some rumblings of discontent locally at such a grand property falling into "foreign" hands, poured in investment, replanting the vineyards, building a new underground cellar and renovating the château. Also more than renovated was Margaux's reputation as one of Bordeaux's leading estates, a reputation it now richly deserves, still under the benevolent eye of the Mentzelpoulos family. After 43 years, Alexis, supported by his sister Alexandra, has taken over from his mother Corrine. Alexis state he is "firmly committed to continuing the family objective of making Château Margaux one of the greatest wines in the world." Château Margaux is a large estate, running to nearly 265ha, although under vine there are only 82ha. For red wines the vines are 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot with smaller plantings of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Wines are fermented and aged in barrels made at Margaux's own cooperage, the reds spending up to two years in wood. The second wine of the estate is Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux which has been produced since the 19th Century, making it among the longest established of such wines. Château Margaux also produce a very successful white wine - Pavillon Blanc de Château Margaux - 100% Sauvignon Blanc, aged in wood for six months. This is classified as AOC Bordeaux as there is no appellation for white Margaux.
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.