CHÂTEAU LA DAUPHINE
2023 Fronsac
The 2023 Château de La Dauphine has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, wild strawberry, cedar and light floral scents—one of the classiest that you will find from Fronsac this year. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fine depth and gentle grip. There is a sense of poise to this Fronsac that I really admire, and it feels persistent on the finish. This is an excellent de La Dauphine that should aged well in bottle. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2024)
75cl bottles (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.
Medium plus intensity, gorgeous deep plum colour, raspberry leaf, rosebud, sinewy tannins, a little bit subdued, but clear quality, great tannic juice, an estate to bookmark for sure. Drinking range: 2026 - 2038 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)
The 2023 La Dauphine is a powerful, resonant wine. Blackberry jam, spice, licorice, chocolate and lavender are some of the many notes that come alive in this succulent, opulent Fronsac. Pretty top notes from the 20% Cabernet Franc add nuance. This is beautifully rendered. Tasted two times. Drinking range: 2026 - 2038 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
This is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, picked at a yield of 42 hl/ha, a good result on these organic and biodynamic vineyards. Plenty of sweet fruit character on the nose, blackberry, blackcurrants, roses and violets, very pure and expressive, and clearly leading with well-defined and floral fruit. The palate shows the same charm, with good fruit here combined with more savoury nuances, supple dark fruits wrapped in coffee bean and toast, underneath which there hides a beautiful core of ripe and nicely knit tannins, working within rather than against the wine. This is another fine vintage from the team at La Dauphine. Rating: 92-94 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
Juicy and fresh red with medium body and firm tannins. Hints of vivid fruit and wet stones in the finish. Slightly chewy at the end. Rating: 91-92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)
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.