CHÂTEAU CORBIN
2023 Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
Medium intensity velvet red, this has grip and rise through the palate, plenty of sage, some oak grilling, but this is tasty, with sappy fruits and feels elegant if highly charged, good St Emilion sleek signature without pushing too far. Annabelle Cruse owner. Drinking range: 2030 - 2044 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)
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.
Dark, sensual and inviting, the 2023 Corbin shows very well today. All the elements are so well balanced. Hints of chocolate, licorice, spice and leather meld into a core of dark-fleshed fruit. There's so much to like here. Drinking range: 2030 - 2043 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
The 2023 from Corbin presents a sweet and polished nose, with fragrant cherry fruit, red pepper, sandy minerals and smoke. This translates onto a palate which is fresh, elegant and polished, with a medium-bodied substance built around a sinewy texture of fruit, supported by a fine-grained core of tannins. An attractive Corbin here, elegant and restrained, working with rather than against the vintage. A good result. Rating: 91-93 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
Round and fleshy, the 2023 Corbin offers up aromas of dark cherries and mulberries mingled with mint and spices, followed by a medium-bodied, supple and fleshy palate that's charming and enveloping. This will offer a broad drinking window. Rating: 91-93 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)
The polish and finesse to this reflects classy and excellent terroir. It’s medium-bodied with dark-berry and stone character. Fine, chewy tannins. Liking this a lot. May be better than 2022? Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)
Château Corbin
Château Corbin is a property with a very long history. as it was reputedly part of a stronghold of the Black Prince in the fifteenth century. The current château was built in the ninteenth century. The vineyard is small - a single plot of about 13 hectares on the edge of the Pomerol and Saint Emlilion boundary. There are two distinct soil types - sandy soil over a base of 'crasse de fer' or ferruginous clay (the soil that is famous in Pomerol) and the classic clay of the Saint Emilion plateau which give the underlying power. It is planted with 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Annabelle Cruse-Bardinet is the fourth generation of the Cruse family, who bought this ancient property in 1924. A graduate in oenology from Bordeaux University, she is no mere figurehead (even though she makes a very elegant one). With the help of consultant Jean-Philippe Fort she is making better and better wines. The 2009 was already elegantly eye-catching in what can be a rather loud parade in Saint Emilion, and the 2010 is as defined as Chanel but somehow as relaxed as a country weekend. This is control by absence of intervention, picking ripe grapes, selecting the best plots, ageing in barrel for between 16 and 18 months. The result is a wine with an unstressed, natural feel, and a frank and open balance.
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 2023 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. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. 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
- +£7.50 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 2026. 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.