Château Potensac 2020

Attractive minerality, finely honed tannins, very well balanced, a pleasure to drink.

Reserved in style, this moves steadily and methodically along, with a textbook core of cassis and bitter cherry notes laced with light anise, wet stone and iron. Shows good mouthwatering cut on the finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2032.

Quite herbal on the nose, a medicinal touch, aniseed and bramble fruits. Smooth and satisfying, this has a nice clarity to the fruit, clean and clear, generous with lots of energy and Medoc characters. Easy drinking with a cool, classic touch - some bright red and blue fruits and a slightly chalky salinity. Very appealing and great to drink now with a juicy mid-palate. Drink now if you want but it will age too. A fine example that has a real kick to it on the fresh finish. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Ageing 20% new oak. 3.63 pH.

Plenty of currants and flowers with crushed stone. Slate and iron, too. Lead pencil. Medium-bodied with racy and polished tannins that show intensity and length. Linear and focused. 44% merlot, 33% cabernet sauvignon, 22% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drink after 2025.

As I mentioned in my tasting note from barrel, the 2020 Potensac displays a little more opulence on the nose compared to other vintages. This is certainly true in bottle, though it retains a sense of composure, mainly red fruit laced with tobacco and a touch of leather. The palate is nicely balanced with fine tannins, crisp acidity, just a touch of licorice infusing the mixture of red and black fruit, a welcome tarriness imparting some classic Claret notes on the finish. A fine Potensac.

Dark in color, the wine opens with persuasive notes of cedar, crème de cassis, tobacco, and forest leaf on the nose. Full-bodied, ripe, rich, and packed with crisp, juicy currants, the wine finishes with a big mouthful of firm, chewy blackberries and currants, lifted by a refreshing sprig of mint on the backend. 91-93 pts

Intense bouquet, red and blue berries, light leather and tarragon. Mid-palate shows a finely powdery texture, ripe extract, and well-supported verve. Focused finish with wild cherry, pure and clean – confirms the good en primeur result.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: herbal, peppery bouquet, cherries, red cassis, wood, rosemary. A firm, aromatic palate with good fruit, fine sandy tannins, medium aromatics, bourgeois structure, a herbal/bitter finish. Has room to improve.

Young, plump damson fruit, well-balanced acidity with tannic grip and charm, should be ready to approach within two to three years. Love the kick of lemongrass and passionfruit that gives an edge of unfussy charm to the brambled fruits. 3.63 pH, 20% new oak. The oldest vines on this estate are around 100 years old, helping them withstand the drought.

A blend of 44% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Potensac is deep garnet-purple colored. It is a little broody to begin, soon opening out to notes of garrigue, damp soil, and wet slate over a core of crushed plums and fresh blueberries, plus a hint of bay leaves. The medium-bodied palate is lively and crunchy with a light chewiness to the tannins and an earthy finish.

Potensac 2020 is an admirable success and undoubtedly one of the most impressive. Its classic, straightforward, sappy profile suggests beautiful aging potential. Very fine tannin structure.

A centenarian, generous Cabernet Franc nose here, with notes of stewed fruit and blackcurrant leaves. On the palate, well-balanced acidity, more harmonious than in the second wine, with licorice aromas, a fresh finish and a slight roasted touch.

So much identity in Potensac! We’re in the Médoc here, with that varietal freshness and a well-poised character, carried by precise tannins—powerful yet never showy. They provide a fine foundation across the palate, while the acid structure brings verve and personality. A wine that combines vigor and harmony.

The nose is fruity, well handled, and offers fine concentration, subtle richness, freshness, and a discreetly tight grain. It reveals notes of ripe/pulpy strawberry, vibrant blackcurrant and, more subtly, violet, combined with touches of morello cherry as well as fine hints of black tea. The palate is fruity and offers minerality, freshness, good definition, a certain indulgence, as well as tension, uprightness yet well managed, subtle richness, and a touch of fat. On the palate, this wine shows notes of pulpy/juicy raspberry, fresh strawberry and, more subtly, vibrant blackcurrant, combined with touches of violet, lily, refined minerality, and fine hints of nutmeg, grey pepper, and licorice. Good length. The tannins are precise and structuring.

Herbs, peppery bouquet, cherries, red cassis, wood, rosemary. A firm, aromatic palate with good fruit, fine sandy tannins, medium aromatics, bourgeois structure, bitter finish. Can improve further. 16/20 2026 - 2038