CHÂTEAU LASSÈGUE
2023 Grand Cru Saint Emilion
Mouthwatering from the first moments, showcasing vibrant dark berry fruits shot through with fennel, red saffran, smoked earth, aniseed, gooseberry. One of my favourite wines of the vintage in St Emilion, just so full of pleasure, will easily last for decades but not need to wait too long before starting to enjoy. 50% in new oak barrels. harvest September 18 to 28. Highest amount of Cabernet Franc in this wine to date, at 50% of the total blend, 3.67ph. Drinking range: 2030 - 2045 Rating: 96-100 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.
The 2023 Lassègue is terrific. In fact, it is one of the best wines I have tasted here. A rush of inky dark fruit, crème de cassis, mocha, cloves and chocolate are all dialed up to the maximum in this decidedly opulent Saint-Émilion. Lassègue is not at all subtle, but it has a ton to offer for lovers of rich, heady wines. This is the first vintage in which Cabernet Franc drives the blend. Oak impact, thankfully, has been moderated as well. It remains a pretty lush, super-ripe wine, but it is impeccably balanced. This a terrific effort from Pierre Seillan. Drinking range: 2027 - 2038 Rating: 91-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
Pierre Seillan is taking Lassègue in a completely new direction, and it shows. Tired of trying to balance phenolic maturity and alcohol levels in Merlot, he is moving the blend towards Cabernet Franc, using his experience at Vérité in California and in Tuscany. The blend is 50% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot, the first time Cabernet Franc has dominated. The harvest was relatively late, from September 18th to the 28th. The nose is clearly led by the Cabernet Franc, all dark fruit with liquorice, slightly stemmy red pepper, green peppercorn and menthol, with nuances of toasted oak and praline. It is very distinctive, and very different to previous vintages. The palate is supple and polished, showing a much riper sense of cohesion than the nose suggested, with texture, spice and a core of sinewy fruit. It still has the red pepper and mint, but it plays nicely with the toast, tobacco and vanilla notes, before it culminates in a dry grip at the end of the palate. A distinctive wine which may develop more appeal as the aromatics evolve, but for the moment this is one for committed Cabernet Franc fans only. The alcohol is 14% Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
This is very linear and compact with lush fruit, but the tannins and acidity frame it so nicely. It's medium-bodied with excellent length and energy. The finish is really fine. 50% cabernet franc, 43% merlot and 7% cabernet sauvignon. Better than 2022.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.