CHÂTEAU LA GURGUE
2023 Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Margaux
Sappy and enticing ruby red fruit character, black pepper spice, fragrant cumin, good uplift through the palate. 25hl/h yield, impacted not by frost or midlew but by the heat in September on the young vines, 3.6ph. Harvest September 13 to October 2. Drinking range: 2027 - 2038 Rating: 89 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 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.
A property Claire Villars-Lurton has owned since 2000, the wines now made at Château Ferrière. The vines are in Soussans, on gravelly soil. The blend is 62%Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 13% Petit Verdot, the latter coming from the estate’s 3 hectares of Petit Verdot vines. Rose-infused fruit on the nose, with a touch of chocolate. This is followed by a light and juicy palate, with the linear substance of the vintage and a rather peppered edge, underpinned by a little frame of pithy tannins which flourish with a touch of bitterness in the finish. This one will probably be for drinking relatively young. The alcohol is 13.6% on analysis. Rating: 86-88 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and fully 13% Petit Verdot, the 2023 La Gurgue exhibits aromas of dark berries, licorice and boot polish, followed by a medium-bodied, fleshy palate built around powdery tannins. Rating: 88-90 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)
A fresh and focused red with a medium body and fine tannins. It’s crunchy, with good fruit concentration in the center-palate, showing plum and redcurrant highlights. Bright and firm at the end. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)
Château La Gurgue
Despite having two former Mayors of Margaux among previous owners, and a location right in the heart of the appellation, Château La Gurgue was not marked by particular greatness until recent times, registering not more than Cru Bourgeois status in the infamous 1855 classification. Now, however, in common ownership with Château Haut Bages Libéral and Château Ferrière and under the benign stewardship of Claire Villars-Lurton, La Gurgue has rightfully assumed position as a property to watch in the always popular appellation of Margaux. 10ha of vineyard, planted with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, abut in many places the vineyards of the illustrious Château Margaux. Certified both organic and biodynamic.
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.