CHÂTEAU POTENSAC
2021 Cru Bourgeois Médoc
Lovely perfume of blue berry fruit and violets, in part down to the unusually high 23% Cabernet Franc. The 2021 is a successful Potensac. With some nice supple weight in the middle. Graceful texture, wet tobacco and dried leaves add the seasoning to the elegant fruit frame. Good drinking for the relatively short term.L&S (Apr 2022)
* 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.
40 Cabernet Sauvignon, 34 Merlot, 23 Cabernet Franc, 3 Petit Verdot | 20% new oak | 13.1% alc | 72 IPT | 37 hl/ha Great balance from start to finish makes this one of the most impressive ‘well-priced’ wines of the vintage. They picked right up to the 14th of October to bring in the very last of the Cabernets and Potensac. The Franc percentage is the highest ever proportion in the wine, and it provides a fantastic link between the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot. Super-classy and beautiful, less black and structured, more rakish and red-fruited, this is a genuinely delicious wine. Rating: 17.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2022)
Real clarity of fruit with currants, blueberries and crushed stone. Some saltiness. Medium body and fine tannins. Perfumed and peppery, with peppercorn notes. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2022)
Classically-balanced Potensac, dense ruby in colour, this is not exuberant, full of cool blue fruits, a signature of the good wines of the vintage, careful extraction, gentle overall, this is good quality and can be approached early. Highest level of Cabernet Franc ever, 3.54ph, 37hl/h yield after mildew. Harvest through to October 13th. Tasted twice. Drinking range: 2025 - 2036 Rating: 89 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)
A blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and an unusually high 23% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Potensac offers up attractive aromas of cassis, loamy soil, wilted rose petals and pipe tobacco. Medium-bodied, supple and lively, with ripe, powdery tannins and a saline finish, it's a charming, perfumed rendition of this Médoc estate. Tasted three times. Rating: 89-90+ William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2022)
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 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. 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 2025. 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.