2018, Château Potensac, MÉDOC

Bordeaux Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc.

The 2018 Potensac is every bit as appealing as it was from barrel. Ripe and pliant, with terrific purity of fruit, the 2018 captures all of the natural radiance of the year. This fleshy Haut-Medoc delivers superb quality in a forward, open-knit style that can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring. The bouquet shows lovely savoury and floral Cabernet notes that work so well with the pliant Merlot fruit. Time in the glass brings out a surprising amount of freshness, with bright acids that suggest 10-15 years of cellaring potential is a safe bet. 92+ Antonio Galloni, Vinous (2021).

The 2018 Potensac has an outgoing nose of wild strawberry and raspberry notes and touches of meat juices, a slight gaminess emerging with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with edgy, crisp tannins. Quite tight on the entry, it finds its groove in the second half, displaying commendable delineation and tension on the graphite-tinged, slightly austere finish. Fine. 89 Neal Martin, Vinous (2021).

The 2018 Potensac is composed of 45% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine has 14.42% alcohol and was aged in 35% new barriques. Medium to deep garnet-purple coloured, it rolls out of the glass with open-knit scents of ripe, juicy black plums, boysenberries, redcurrant jelly and cassis, plus hints of dried Provence herbs, cinnamon stick and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is chock-full of lively black and red berry layers, supported by soft tannins and a racy line, finishing with a lively skip in its step. 90 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (2021).

Plush plum in colour, with a depth to the body that starts from the first sip. A clear step up from the second wine, as I have found in many Médocs in the vintage. Raspberry and blueberry fruits which then deepen out to the classic black fruit notes of Potensac. Bottled in mid-April, ageing in barrel was kept to 14 months to avoid any over-extraction, because alcohol levels are pretty high. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (2020).

Drinking Window: 2025 - 2038