CHÂTEAU POTENSAC

2013 Cru Bourgeois Médoc

EN PRIMEUR

Reserved, saline attack. Good mass, quite structured, holding the fruit tight to the finish, blackcurrants than raspberry, compact and together, well done in Potensac style. Rating: 87-88 L&S (Apr 2014)

* 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 2013 Potensac, always one of the best of the lower-tier wines from Bordeaux and one with incredible aging potential for an unheralded non-classified growth, is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It is a soft, round, easygoing wine offering pleasant notes of loamy soil, cherries and red currants. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. 2014-2019 Rating: 83-85 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Aug 2014)

(49% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot; 3.67 pH; 39 hl/ha; 13% alcohol): Red-ruby. Aromas of black cherry, licorice, mint and oak. Moderately dense, even a bit chunky, offering spicy red berry and cedar flavors. Finishes with substantial but sweet tannins and good chewy length. This may flesh out and develop nicely prior to release. Rating: 86-89 Ian d'Agata - Stephen Tanzer website (May 2014)

Sweet on the nose the palate has black fruited richness. The rich ripe fruit in the middle is underpinned by bramble freshness slightly lighter at the back but the finish has depth and black fruited richness. 2016-27 Rating: 89-91 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (May 2014)

Rating: 91 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2014)

(49 Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 Cabernet Franc, 30 Merlot, 1 Petit Verdot) Lot of flower shatter in the old Merlot. 1/3 new oak. Quite sexy and full and very focussed on the finish. Good sinew and more red than dark in fruit terms. Pretty pure as well. This is a good effort for Potensac and it will age well. Rating: 16.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Apr 2014)

Dense colour, fine fragrance and purity lifted by 20% Cabernet Franc – almost St-Julien depth. This is what Médoc at its best is all about. Drink: 2017-2025. Rating: 16.5 Steven Spurrier (Apr 2014)

Light, with modest cherry and plum pit notes and a modest cedar shading on the finish. Has good length and should fill in a bit more. Rating: 85–88 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2014)

The Potensac 2013 was cropped at 39hl/ha, the old merlot vines affected by coulure. It has a strict and linear nose with strong sous-bois scents coming through the black fruit profile. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit, fine acidity, a little chewiness towards the finish but decent weight. It is an honest Potensac that will give pleasure over the next 10 years. Rating: 87-89 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)

The 2013 Potensac is laced with black cherries, grilled herbs, game, smoke and licorice. The style is hearty and rough around the edges, but with good overall balance in its peer group. Smoke, graphite and cassis open up over time. The 2013 is juicy and flavorful, especially within the context of the year. In 2013, the blend is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Rating: 87-89 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)

Château Potensac is owned by the Delon family, owners of Léoville-Las Cases and Nénin. Potensac belies its humble Cru Bourgeois status and regularly outperforms its more illustrious neighbours.

The vineyards of Potensac are located in Ordonnac in Médoc. The blend is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with approximately 40% Merlot and Cabernet Franc combined.

Yields are severely restricted to around 35 hl/ha (hectolitres per hectare) and rigorous selection for the 'grand vin' consigns roughly 35% of the harvest to the second wine, named Château Lassalle. Michel and Jean-Hubert Delon do not filter their wines as they prefer the more caring approach of fining with egg whites.

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.

Ordering

Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.

Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.

Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (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 £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.

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) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.

When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.

Additional charges are as follows:-

  • +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.