CHÂTEAU POTENSAC
2020 Cru Bourgeois Médoc
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. Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 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 2020 Potensac is a jewel of a wine. Bright acids give the 2020 notable energy that is immediately apparent. Crushed red berry fruit, blood orange, mint, rose petal, star anise and crushed rocks are all beautifully laced together. This finely cut, chiseled Médoc is a winner. I imagine it will age gracefully for a number of years to come. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
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. Drinking range: 2025 - 2036 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
This was another wine made from particularly tiny berries and it is this concentration of skin to juice that has imbued in this wine so much class and depth of flavour. In addition, the rain which fell in August ‘unlocked the potential’ for this wine at exactly the correct time as well as refreshing the finish. This is a rare occasion of a Potensac that it both super-ripe and super-fresh and these traits are exactly what I look for in a truly great wine. Clean on the finish and soaked with elemental minerality, the viti-team here made a key decision to pick while the grapes still retained their site-specific DNA. Any riper and they would have lost their Potensac identity and with ancient Cabernet Franc and superbly suave Merlot bringing their respective perfume and tension to the party, this is one of the most refined and resonant Potensacs I have ever tasted. Rating: 17.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Potensac is quite delicate and finessed, with bright acids that lend a real sense of energy. Expressive floral accents from the Cabernet Franc (a bit elevated in 2020) add aromatic presence to balance things out. Sweet red berry fruit, mint, sage and rose petals linger on the delineated, precise finish. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Potensac was picked September 14–30 and matured in 20% new oak. It has a clean, pure black currant and blueberry nose, a little more opulent than usual, but well defined and demonstrating a bit more fruité, which it has occasionally lacked in some vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, and quite saline on the entry, with touches of black olive infusing the black fruit. A midweight with a lively, classically fashioned finish, this is a very commendable Potensac that should give 12–15 years of pleasure, but warrants 3–4 years in a cool, damp cellar. Drinking range: 2025 - 2036 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
This kicks off at a high intensity and manages to deliver both concentration and freshness. Juicy and easy to approach and will easily last 10 years. Has charm and appeal, and a sappy delivery of cassis and bilberry fruits. Oldest vines on this estate are around 100 years old, helping them withstand the drought. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.63pH, 20% new oak. Drinking range: 2024 - 2040 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
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 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.