CHÂTEAU MALESCOT SAINT EXUPÉRY
2023 3ème Cru Classé Margaux
Dark plum colour, this is inky, richly oaked, right on brand, with cloves, cassis, liqourice and cocoa dusting. Léa Zuger come back five years ago from Cananda to take over at the estate from her father who is looking to retire, and she is looking to lower the oak influence over next few years. Michel Rolland continues to work with them (as of 1991) himself, which is unusual these days. 60% new oak, harvest september 19 though to October 10. 39hl/h yield, 26.8ha in production right now because just pulled out their Cabernet Franc and will replant with Cabernet Sauvignon. Drinking range: 2030 - 2045 Rating: 92 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 Malescot St. Exupéry is a powerful Margaux that will need a bit of time to come together. Potent tannins wrap around a core of red/purplish fruit, lavender, mint and dried herbs. These days, Malescot is not quite as unyielding as it used to be, but this remains a decidedly old-school Margaux in style and overall philosophy. Drinking range: 2030 - 2048 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
An attractively perfumed nose, with some complexity, all rose petal, black tea leaf, tobacco and toast, with a touch of matchstick freshness; I like the aromatic profile, and it comes bolstered by a little sensitively applied high-quality oak. The palate is fresh, delineated and fragrant, with a supple and silky core of fruit, fragrant and perfumed as per the nose, with a medium-bodied and silky presence, draped over a rather firm and modestly grained structure of tannins. There is much to admire here, although the tannic structure lacks a little finesse, and it dries out the finish a little. Perhaps the élevage will polish it up a bit. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
One of the most suave, classy vintages from this estate in some years, the 2023 Malescot St. Exupery is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, berries, licorice and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and succulent, with good depth at the core, supple tannins and a harmonious, integrated profile. Part of the blend is maturing in foudre. Rating: 93-95 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)
This has a very deep and beautiful palate with cherries, chocolate, hazelnut and orange peel. Pretty blackcurrants and blue berries, too. Medium body. The finish has gorgeous al-dente fruit at the end and is always subtle. Open tannins. A blend of 58% cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot, and 5% petit verdot. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)
Château Malescot Saint Exupéry
Margaux Troisième Cru Classé 1855
Simon Malescot laid the foundations for this estate when he purchased the land in 1697. In 1827 it was sold to Count Jean-Baptiste Saint-Exupéry, who appended his name to that of the château and added vineyard land from his family holdings. His extravagent life-style, however, led his widow to sell Château Malescot Saint Exupéry in 1853 to a banker called Fourcade who added the now defunct Château Dubignon to Malescot Saint Exupéry. In 1885 the present château was built. A sale of the estate in 1901 saw Château Dubignon split off again (selling for most of the next fifty years as Château Dubignon-Talbot), only to be re-incorporated into Malescot Saint Exupéry by Paul Zuger who bought the estate (together with Marquis d'Alesme Becker) in 1955. At the time, Malescot Saint Exupéry had just 7ha of vines and a reputation that had hit rock bottom. The Zuckers, now represented by the third generation Jean-Luc, have rejuvenated Malescot Saint Exupéry and it now has a reputation for good quality and good value.
Château Malescot Saint Exupéry can claim the great Château Margaux as its neighbour and lies, therefore, in the very heart of the appellation. The vineyards are planted to 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin spend 14 to 16 months in oak, with up to 80% of the barrels being new wood.
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.