CHÂTEAU L'IF
2025 Grand Cru Saint Emilion
The 2025 L'If is a total stunner. It's like no other vintage I have tasted thus far, perhaps because of the high percentage (25%) of Cabernet Franc. Chalk, mint, white pepper, blood orange and jasmine are some of the many notes that gradually open in the glass. A saline edge shapes the brisk mid-palate and brilliant, chiseled finish. Magnificent. The best L'If to date. Tasted two times. Drinking range: 2035 - 2065 Rating: 97-99 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (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.
One of the absolute stars of the vintage in St-Emilion. Smells incredible with such perfumed violet fragrance and clear blackcurrant scents, really so vivid with a vibrant pink colour in the glass. Supple and juicy, clearly refined from the start with super fine tannins – gently grippy – with a lick of liquorice, wet stone and some tobacco and dark chocolate. I like the clarity and clean grip to this. Feels fresh, so St-Emilion and so limestone based with fantastic energy, a touch chalky but not dominant. Alive with enough grip and flesh to be weighty but really not fleshy or chewy, and very cool – cola, blueberries and flint. Delicious and accomplished with everything in harmony and nothing sticking out. This should shape up nicely over ageing with even a few minutes in the glass gaining in chew and texture. Harvest 11-19 September. 3.28pH. Ageing currently 50% new oak (may reduce to around 40%). Drinking range: 2032 - 2047 Rating: 97 Georgie Hindle - Decanter (Apr 2026)
Medium- to full-bodied and chalky but charming, with definition and clarity. 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc. Best ever. Rating: 97-98 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2026)
The 2025 L'If was picked from September 11 to 19 and matured in 50% new French oak and 50% one-year-old barrels. This vintage contains a little more Cabernet Franc (25%). A mélange of red and blueberry fruit on the nose, hints of iris flower and just a hint of blood orange. Fine definition, quite understated in style. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy tannins on the entry, citrus-fresh and the limestone element shapes the profile on the finish. Bright acids, very tensile. It will be fascinating to revisit this L'If after bottling. Drinking range: 2030 - 2050 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2026)
Explodes out of the glass, a wine where you can easily read the terroir, intense with oyster shell salinity, chalky tannins, lovely grip, slow and steady unrolling, olive pit, baking spices, fragrant iris and peony character. Clings on, and this is truly an expertly-handled expression of the soils, 3.3ph. 50% new oak. 3.28 pH. Harvest September 11 to 19, now in full production, 8ha, youngest vines from 2019. Drinking range: 2030 - 2042 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Apr 2026)
Château l'If
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.
