CHÂTEAU POTENSAC
2022 Cru Bourgeois Médoc
A blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.5% Merlot, 19.5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Potensac is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a bit of swirling to bring out notes of crushed blackberries, cassis, and warm plums, with hints of cracked black pepper and fertile loam. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with black fruit preserves, supported by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, with loads of savory sparks on the finish. Nice! Rating: 92-94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent (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.
Balance and depth to the fruit. This must be the most concentrated Potensac that I have tasted En Primeur, but you can pick out individual characters of sweet blackberry puree, slate, liquorice root, firm tannins, almost drying on the finish but there is juice and the cold ash aspect that is such a lovely sign of Cabernet Sauvignon on gravel. One to look out for. You needed the expertise of consutlant Eric Boissenot with press wine I imagine in this kind of vintage, and it works well here. No 2nd wine now here as of this vintage, back to keeping things simple. No Chapelle de Potensac this year. Tasted twice. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2023)
Fragranced, black bramble fruit, so scented and aromatic. Crystalline pure fruit, blackcurrants, cherries and plums, with grippy, but super fine and fresh tannins and balanced acidity. Precise and sleek, agile yet concentrated with a lovely cool and juicy core alongside graphite and pencil lead touches. Powerful but polished and ageable. A great buy. Rating: 93 Georgie Hindle - Decanter (Apr 2023)
This is a real stunner. Tasted with its stablemates in the grandeur of Château Nenin, the Potensac really stood tall. At once crisp and pert with good crunch of red-flecked fruit, then deeper waves of juicy plum and sweeter cherry flesh. They have some limestone here, and this has certainly helped them highlight the cool brightness in the juice. Long, firm and charming. A potent Potensac but so well judged.L&S (Apr 2023)
43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.5% Merlot, 19.5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 20% new oak 14.52% alc. 3.64 pH. 82 IPT. 38 hl/ha. Harvested between 19 September – 11 October 13% press wine addition This is a thrilling wine with a joyous nose and masses of red fruit highlights. Late rainfall in September refreshed the vines, and this meant that it powered up their batteries, allowing them to load incredible intensity and freshness into its two Cabernet components. The tannins are incredible, and the length of flavour is also sensational. This is the finest young Potensac I have tasted, and it will have a stunning life ahead of it. Returning to my glass, this is such a complex wine with fascinating amplitude and incredible freshness. This is a freak Potensac deserving of the efforts put in during the heroic vintage. Rating: 18+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2023)
43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.5% Merlot, 19.5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Second wine, Chapelle, no longer made. Unwanted batches sold in bulk. Cask sample. Fresh and floral with a leafy edge. Stony freshness on the palate. Broad but long, the tannins incisive. Firm, lingering finish. As usual, more definition and depth than most in this appellation. (JL) 14.5% Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 16.5 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
This has a rounded and suave aspect that owes a lot to some delicious Merlot grapes. Not short of depth nor density, it is made for extended cellaring. Rating: 92-93 La Revue du Vin de France (May 2023)
Polished and refined with a deep core of ripe berries with walnut undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with firm, velvety tannins and a lingering finish. Deep and complex. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
Aromas of dark berries, cigar wrapper and licorice introduce the 2022 Potensac, a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy Médoc with a deep core of fruit and powdery structuring tannins. It's built along similar lines to the 2020. Rating: 89-91 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)
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 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.