CHÂTEAU POTENSAC
2019 Cru Bourgeois Médoc
The 2019 Pontensac has an open-knit red cherry and crushed strawberry scented nose that conveys joie-de-vivre. The palate is sweet on the entry, fleshier than expected, a little oaky and missing a bit of grip on the finish. Like the 2019 Le Boscq, this is early drinking, but does the job. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drinking range: 2024 - 2033 Rating: 89 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
* 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 2019 Potensac is fabulous. Bright and focused, the 2019 impresses with its energy, balance and total class. Crushed flowers, mint, cinnamon, crushed rocks and blood orange all open in the glass. The 2019 is class personified I love the purity here. The 2019 is a standout, and should be a terrific value, too. Drinking range: 2024 - 2039 Rating: 92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
The 2019 Potensac has a very similar nose to the sample that was dispatched to my home last year, but it is more backward by comparison, taking time to unfurl in the glass. The palate is well balanced, with sappy red fruit and a slight chalkiness toward the finish. Classic Haut-Médoc in style, this should drink well for 15 years or more. 14.05% alcohol Drinking range: 2024 - 2044 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
Here the raspberry and redcurrant fruits that were present in La Chapelle have filled out and deepend, with a luscious richness through the mid palate. There are still plenty of Médoc tannins showing tension and layering, and you need to give it time to open in the glass. A little tense and nervy right now but good quality - benefitting from an uprooting of 20ha of the less impressive parts of the vineyard to focus on the highest quality sectors. Harvest September 21 to October 9. 3.54ph. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jan 2022)
The 2019 Potensac is a blend of 47% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, harvested from the 21st of September to the 9th of October. The alcohol came in at 14.05% with a pH of 3.54 and an IPT of 74. It is aging in French oak barriques, 34% new. With a deep purple-black color, the nose hits the ground running with lively scents of black raspberries, warm cassis and redcurrant jelly plus suggestions of garrigue, tilled soil, unsmoked cigars and pencil shavings. The medium to full-bodied palate is positively invigorating, offering bags of crunchy black and red berry flavors and a racy line of freshness, framed by approachable, grainy tannins and finishing with a skip in its step. In a word: FUN! Drinking range: 2023 - 2036 Rating: 90-92+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Jun 2020)
The 2019 Potensac was harvested from 21 September to 9 October, raised in 34% new oak. Wild strawberry and raspberry preserve aromas make an impact on the nose that storms from the glass, a touch of pencil box in the background. The palate is well balanced with fine grain tannins, plenty of sappy red fruit that segues into darker fruit towards the strict finish. This is a "correct" Potensac, very linear in style with pleasing length. Drinking range: 2024 - 2044 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)
47% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Barrel sample. Less exuberant and more classic than the 2018. Vibrant and fresh with an energetic feel. Nose bright and lifted. Good depth of ripe fruit. Firmly structured, the tannins grainy but honed. Persistent. Drinking range: 2026 - 2036 Rating: 17 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Jun 2020)
Château Potensac
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 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 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2027. 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 2027. 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.