CLOS MANOU
2023 Médoc
Yet again Stephane Dief has knocked it out of the park this year. This jewel of a property with its wealth of very old vines has created a masterful 2023. Chiselled and poised - this is upright, pretty and sophisticated. The fruit concentration is pitch perfect here - with that gentle soft ripeness in tune with the freshness of the year. Beautifully judged and this year with just 35% new oak and a proportion of the juice aged in amphorae the purity is wonderful. Very serious Bordeaux from this (still!) under the radar producer we have been championing for more than a decade. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 8% Petit VerdotL&S (Apr 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 Clos Manou has a clean and precise nose of earthy black fruit, with touches of freshly rolled tobacco following through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and finely proportioned, with gentle grip and a keen line of acidity. There is a build in the mouth absent in many of its peers, as well as unquestionably greater persistency. Excellent. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2024)
This stands out from the first nose, has sinewy tannins, textured bilberry and blackberry fruits, savoury liqourice and tobacco, slate tannins and a juicy finish. Accomplished and confident, one to look out for. Stephane Dief owner, 35% new oak for ageing, plus 6% amphora. Drinking range: 2027 - 2037 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)
This northern Médoc estate has over-performed once again with the 2023 Clos Manou, an impressive effort redolent of cassis, dark berries, pencil shavings and violets. Medium to full-bodied, layered and velvety, with a lively core of concentrated fruit framed by supple, elegantly chalky tannins, this is a classy, ambitious wine that could embarrass many grand châteaux in a blind tasting. It's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot that attained 13.2% alcohol. Rating: 91-93 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)
This stands out from the first nose, has sinewy tannins, textured bilberry and blackberry fruits, savoury liqourice and tobacco, slate tannins and a juicy finish. Accomplished and confident, one to look out for. Stephane Dief owner, 35% new oak for ageing, plus 6% amphora. Drinking range: 2027 - 2037 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)
The 2023 Clos Manou is a bold, juicy Médoc. Plum, spice, leather, cedar and dried herbs are nicely pushed forward. The 2023 is a but rustic as this stage, but it has potential. Pretty top notes brighten the finish. Drinking range: 2025 - 2033 Rating: 88-90 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
A lovely perfumed core of fruit here, showing a definition which seems rare this far north, with nicely defined and rather sweet blackcurrant and blackberry fruits, with touches of raspberry and tobacco. This is followed by a palate which shows the light and linear texture of the vintage, with a sinewy layer of fruit over the top, currant and brambles intertwined with leafy freshness and tobacco oak, in a somewhat juicy style. Firm lightly toasted tannins loiter beneath. A good effort here. Rating: 87-89 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
A supple and juicy red with fine tannins and a mellow fruit character. It has a medium body and a polished texture. It melts in the mouth and shows hints of chocolate and spices at the end. Rating: 91-92 James Suckling, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2024)
Clos Manou
"We turned our garage into a makeshift wine cellar and made our first wine in 1998.” Françoise and Stéphane Dief. Which sounds impossibly idyllic! In a region of grand estates with long complicated histories the arrivistes of Clos Manou are a refreshing change. Starting with just .12ha of vines, the Diefs have patiently spent 15 years building their holding up to 18ha, along the way absorbing the obscure Cru Bourgeois of Château Cantegrive. The estate may be 'new' but amongst their holdings are Bordeaux’s oldest vines – they have a small pre-phylloxera parcel from the 1850’s. The estate is centred on the village of Saint-Christoly de Médoc in the increasingly popular area of the Haut-Médoc to the north of Saint Estèphe. All of Clos Manou’s vineyards are high-density plantings – some 10 000 vines per hectare – and all are converted to organic farming as soon as is practical. Grape variety proportions are 45% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. The first wine is aged in 100% new wood. The second wine is called Petit Manou.
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.