Château Potensac 2022

Ruby red; radiant cassis fruit, blackberry, herbs, dark chocolate; dense palate, a mouthful of wine, firm tannins, lively acidity, exceptionally compact, with structure, breed, and an impressive length.

Dark currant and blackberry fruit is laced with charcoal, warm humus and paving stone notes, along with a flash of chestnut leaf. There's a singed cedar frame to the finish. Textbook. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2036.

Warm sun-kissed fruit with liquorice and toasted spice edges on the nose. Smooth and forward, this has a lovely energy and feeling of confidence. Bright and alive with a crystalline, almost sharp edge to the berry fruit with a core of salty, crushed stone minerality and liquorice tang. Straight and focused, this has lovely detail and such precision to the tannins. Still tense, with quite a lot of heat and oak spice on the finish, but great definition.

One of the best ever with super currants, mint, mineral and iodine. Crushed stones. Medium- to full-bodied, it has wonderful caressing tannins that run the length of the wine. A real Potensac, cabernet-driven, that goes on for minutes. 43% cabernet sauvignon, 36.5% merlot, 19.5% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drink after 2028 but already fantastic and one of the best values of the vintage.

The 2022 Potensac is a pretty rich, heady Haut-Médoc. Blue/purplish fruit, spice, new leather, menthol and sage fill out the layers nicely. The 2022 offers a combination of fruit depth and vibrancy that is hugely appealing. This opens beautifully with a bit of coaxing.

Clearly, this is the best vintage of Potensac I have ever tasted, and it is easy to see why. The aromatic profile is loaded with tobacco leaf, cedar, herbs, and black fruits. Concentrated with ripe, deep black fruits that provide length, lift, and volume, this is going to age for more than 2 decades, if fans can keep their hands off. The wine was produced from blending 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.5% Merlot, 19.5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. 14.52% ABV. Drink from 2026–2045.

The 2022 Château Potensac is darker and more concentrated, featuring currants, spring flowers, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, with layered depth, balanced structure, and beautiful tannins, it’s a serious, structured Potensac that should evolve well for 15–20+ years.

Intense blueberry-like bouquet, intoxicating lilac perfume, elderberry juice. On the compact palate with a soft texture and the typical Médoc structure, very straightforward with a well-trained body. In the focused finish it streamlines, ending with dark graphite, juniper, and finely sandy astringency

Deep plum in colour, this is definitely an impressive Potensac, with loads of graphite, poise, reserve, and excellent balance. It delivers Médoc typicity along with the Delon seriousness and ageability. You can drink this now if you enjoy this more pumped-up Left Bank feel, or wait and enjoy the slow-burn cassis and bilberry. Definitely one to watch.

A rich, enveloping and heady bouquet, blending aromas of ripe fruit and warm earth, with a touch of iris. On the palate, intense fruit and a pronounced woody note.

Potensac immediately shows character, temperament and even (or above all) authority. It’s a Médoc wine, and it’s proud of it, and if it can showcase Cabernet Sauvignon to boot, it does so with gusto. Alongside notes of blackcurrant, Sichuan pepper and eucalyptus, the bouquet impresses with its intensity and density. On the palate, the wine starts off fresh and quickly gains in substance. The chalky side is evident, as are the roundness and breadth of the tannins, which are as vigorous as they are charming. A thrilling wine: powerful, flavorful, persistent and convincing! What a magnificent success. You’ll note its strong personality, its difficulty saying hello with a smile, but its ability to let its heart shine when appreciated. It vaguely reminds me of a local emblematic figure!

As someone who doesn’t reread my En Primeur notes before discovering the wines in bottle, this tasting was a thrilling pleasure. I found again the Potensac of thirty years ago. This one reminds me of the 1982. Deep, intense, vibrant colour. Very aromatic nose, with ripe fruit. A hint of crème de cassis and cedar. Supple on entry, aromatic through the mid-palate, with an unprecedented class to the texture, the wine gains depth in the final third of the palate. It finishes very long and flavoursome, on fine, beautifully detailed tannins. Bravo!

43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.5% Merlot, 19.5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Very violet on the nose, Cabernet Sauvignon makes an overt entrance, both wrapped and slender. Notes of black pepper, nutmeg, and blackberry jam. The palate is built on a grilled yet classy tannic framework. Length and depth—let’s give it time to come together perfectly.

An impressive, dense wine with great swathes of ripe fruit and fully integrated tannins. The wine's berry aromas and black tannins give a wine that will develop quickly. Drink from 2027.