CHÂTEAU CANTEMERLE
2025 5ème Cru Classé Macau
The winemaking here seems to have been on a seriously upward trajectory in recent years - and now with the arrival of their new cellars - this is the best we hasted from Cantemerle en primeur. Intense and vivid with classic lines of dark plum, and hedgerow blooms. You know immediately you are on the left bank, with upright frame and sophisticated pencil-lead and graphite etched on the lovely creamy flowing fruit core. Brambling, savoury and loaded with charm. A great success.L&S (Apr 2026)
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.
Quite a fragrant, aromatic nose, full of intense violets and irises. The Petit Verdot and the Cabernet Sauvignon really stand out in terms of aromatics. Vivid purple in the glass. Sleek and so svelte, this has such a silky, almost creamy texture, tannins are gorgeous and this has such a juicy, lively core. Nothing out of place here. Super accessible and one of the best primeurs samples for consistency tasted three times. Ends salty with a stony grip. Completed new cellar in July 2024 with 114 vats. The team used a thermal camera for plot-by-plot harvest in 2025. New label as this vintage. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.6pH. A yield of 30hl/ha. 60% grand vin production. Ageing 12 months in barrel, 35% new wood. Drinking range: 2033 - 2044 Rating: 95 Georgie Hindle - Decanter (May 2026)
Captures the austerity that you expect and want during En Primeur, wet stones and graphite, plenty of elegance and balance, measured acidities that give Left Bank typicity, a ton of ageing potential and curls of gunsmoke and flowers. Very pretty, very enjoyable, impressive. Yield 32 hl/ha. 35% new oak. First vintage in new cellars. Drinking range: 2034 - 2044 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Apr 2026)
This shows an attractive nose of flowers and subtle spices from the oak. It has good concentration and a balanced palate, with a clear, expressive fruit profile. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2026)
The 2025 Cantemerle is terrific. Plush, deep and quite powerful, Cantemerle has a lot to offer. Dark red fruit, leather, cedar, tobacco and dried herbs are all dialed up. Cabernet Sauvignon drives the blend, which is very much in evidence in the wine's savory intense and structure. There's a lot of wine here. Drinking range: 2030 - 2043 Rating: 91-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2026)
Château Cantemerle
Philippe Dambrine retires as director of the estate at the end of the 2020 vintage, after a long successful tenure. He is replaced by Laure Canu from Château Angélus. Laure is taking on the property in fine fettle with recent innovations in the cellar including their Air-Flow pump system that ensures the softest touch and minimal extraction of the juice - particularly valuable in the recent run of hot vintages. In the vineyard too plot selections and their HVE (level 3) certification means the developments continue towards healthier, better and more sustainable farming.
The long history of Château Cantemerle begins at least as far back as the 12th Century when it was a fortification. Wine production got under way seriously under the watch of the Villeneuve family who bought Cantemerle in 1579 and finally sold up in 1892. During that time Château Cantemerle famously scraped in to the 1855 classification as an apparent last minute addition after some frantic lobbying by Caroline de Villeneuve-Durfort. Théophile-Jean Dubos bought Cantemerle in 1892 and had some initial success, but the 20th Century saw a familiar period of decline and his descendents sold up nearly a hundred years later in 1981 to the Groupe SMABTP who's recent investments have put Château Cantemerle back on its feet.
Château Cantemerle lies in Macau, to the south of the Margaux appellation. There are 87ha under vine, planted to 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Grapes are hand harvested. The Grand Vin spends 12 months in wood, of which 50% is new.
There is a second wine - Les Allées de Cantemerle.
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 £17.50+ 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 2025 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2028. 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:-
- +£20.00 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)
- +£10.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£50.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£70.00 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 2028. 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 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.