CHÂTEAU PIBRAN

2023 Cru Bourgeois Pauillac

EN PRIMEUR

The 2023 Pibran is delicate, floral and very pretty. In this vintage, Pibran is on the lighter, more aromatic side of things. Crushed flowers, bright red-toned fruit, spice and blood orange are nicely lifted. There's a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon in this year's blend. Readers who enjoy wines of delicacy and finesse will adore this. Drinking range: 2028 - 2033 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

75cl bottles (wood case of 12)

* 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.

This is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Merlot, a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, as it was in the 2021 vintage. It has some red cherry and rose petal fruit on the nose, with a little toast and leather. A beautifully presented sample, cool, fresh, floral and bright, with the delicate linearity of the vintage, draped over a core of nicely ripe and polished tannins. A little sappy in the finish, but this is a pretty, entry-level Pauillac. The alcohol on analysis is 13.1%. Rating: 89-91 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)

The 2023 Pibran includes fully 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, as restructured parcels start to come into production and contribute to the blend. Offering up aromas of plums, red berries and pencil shavings, it's medium-bodied, fleshy and supple, with a pretty core of fruit framed by powdery tannins. Rating: 89-91 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)

Beautiful Pibran with very creamy tannins that are polished and integrated. Medium body. Refined and polished texture. Made mostly from vineyards in limestone soils. 54% cabernet sauvignon and 46% merlot. Better than 2022. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)

Château Pibran, now under the guidance Christian Seely and the AXA-Millesimes team, produces with good complexity, weight and concentration. Its 9.5 hectares of vineyards stretch across a well-drained gravel bank and border those of Mouton-Rothschild, Lynch-Bages and Pontet Canet. They are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petit Verdot (5%). The wines are vinified at Pichon-Baron. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and the wine is matured for 12-15 months in barriques (50% new). Pibran is classified as a cru bourgeois but is now producing wines the equal of many of its more highly classified neighbours.

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.