CHATEAU POTENSAC Cru Bourgeois, Haut-Medoc 2023 Bottle

Description

IN BRIEF
2023 Château Potensac is ripe Médoc charisma: deep ruby, bright garnet rim, exuberant blackcurrant, cassis and plum with a lift of red cherry, violet and bay leaf. Polished tannins and lively acidity keep it energetic while graphite, cedar and a savoury tobacco seam add depth. Medium–full bodied, generous front palate, with mid-palate pepper, clove and saline minerality leading to a long finish of bitter chocolate and dried herb. Aged in judicious oak with lees stirring for mid-palate sheen. Drink 2025–2036 with roast beef, confit lamb or mature cheese. Critics: Dunell’s 94 (“exceptional”), James Suckling 93–94 (“beautiful”), Vinous 91–93 (“complete”). A poised, powerful Potensac—approachable now, rewarding with cellaring. Silky texture and balanced structure promise many years of confident, delicious future drinking.

ABOUT THIS WNE
The 2023 growing season in the Médoc was warm and relatively dry, yielding ripe, concentrated fruit with polished tannins and excellent phenolic ripeness. Château Potensac 2023 is constructed principally from Cabernet Sauvignon with a substantial Merlot component and small contributions of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc to broaden the aromatic profile and deepen the colour. Fermentation is controlled to preserve primary fruit while extracting supple, ripe tannin. The wine spends time in a combination of stainless steel and French oak, the latter used judiciously to add spice and frame rather than dominate the fruit. A period on fine lees and gentle rackings contributes mid palate roundness and a pleasing textural sheen.

The wine shows a deep ruby core with a bright garnet rim. The nose announces itself with ripe blackcurrant and cassis, then unfurls plum, damson and a fresher note of red cherry. There is an attractive herbal note of bay leaf and dried thyme, a graphite mineral seam and a savoury tobacco and cedar presence from careful oak. A suggestion of violet and a whisper of mocha add aromatic depth and lift.

On the palate the 2023 is medium to full bodied and immediately generous. Juicy black fruit drives the front palate while a lively line of acidity keeps the wine lifted and energetic. Tannins are rounded yet present, providing shape and a firm frame for the fruit without harshness. The mid palate reveals black pepper spice, a touch of clove and a saline mineral thread that runs through to the finish. The length is good with a final echo of bitter chocolate and dried herb that lingers pleasantly.

Suggested drinking window 2025 to 2036. Serve with roast beef, confit lamb, mushroom dishes or mature cheeses. Overall this Potensac offers ripe Médoc fruit, savoury depth and trustworthy cellaring potential while remaining approachable in its youth.

DUNELL'S 94 points
Reviewed by Neil Pinel
Deep, pure dark-fruit aromatics, blackcurrant, blackberry and crushed dark cherry, lifted by violet and subtle rose petal. The palate is medium-to-full-bodied, taut and muscular, with chalky, powdery tannins that are remarkably fine and dense. Saline minerality and menthol/herbal lift give bright energy and drive through the mid-palate into a long, lingering finish. Exceptionally balanced between power and finesse; seamless texture with concentrated core and excellent aging potential.
Best 2027–2040 (holds well beyond with proper cellaring).

JAMES SUCKLING **** 93-94 Points
16 Apr, 2024 – Beautiful dark fruit with purity and freshness. Medium- to full-bodied, seamless and compact. Outstanding quality of tannins, so fine and dense. It’s muscular and taut on the mid-palate. Lingering, too. Plenty of energy. Close to 2022.

VINOUS 91-93 points
Drinking window: 2027 - 2043
The 2023 Potensac is a seriously beautiful wine that shows just how complex and nuanced wines from this property can be. Crushed flowers, spice, red/purplish fruit, rose petal and mint are some of the notes that lift from the glass. Bright saline tones underpin the mid-palate and finish. This is one of the most complete young Potensacs I can recall tasting. - Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: April 2024

DECANTER 91 points
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle (at Bordeaux, 15 Apr 2024) Part of Best Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Moulis & Listrac 2023 wines tasted en primeur
Drinking Window: 2027 - 2039
Dark aromatics, violet, blackcurrant. Clean and clear, crystalline and pure, doesn’t have so much flesh, relatively lean, but actually is more crisp than harsh. Good structure, needs to fill out a little and is missing some sweetness, but then the menthol and herbal accents are lovely. Chalky and powdery tannins fill the mouth. Nice length and lift on the finish. 3.62pH.

THE WINE ADVOCATE (89-91)
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2023 Potensac is a solid effort, offering up aromas of dark berries, cherries, loamy soil and cigar wrapper, followed by a medium-bodied, fleshy palate that's taut and penetrating, with good depth at the core.

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ABOUT CHATEAU POTENSAC
Château Potensac is a noted Médoc estate located in the commune of Lesparre Médoc that produces classically structured, terroir driven red wines. The property traces its documented history back several centuries and occupies gravelly and clay soils well suited to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The site sits on slightly elevated terrain that gives good drainage and helps produce grapes with concentrated tannin and ripe phenolic maturity. Vine plantings emphasize Cabernet Sauvignon for backbone and longevity with Merlot adding flesh and approachability plus smaller amounts of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in some parcels.

The estate has been part of the Sichel family portfolio for many years. Under family stewardship Potensac has benefited from sustained investment in vineyard health and cellar equipment alongside an emphasis on traditional Médoc style. Vineyard practices favor careful canopy management, moderate yields and selective harvesting so that fruit enters the cellar in good condition. Attention to clonal selection and parcel management allows the team to preserve variety of expression across the different vineyard sites.

Winemaking at Potensac balances classicism and precision. Fermentation is conducted with parcel level attention and controlled extraction to build structure without harshness. Maturation takes place in French oak barrels in proportions chosen to fit the vintage character and the desired balance between fruit and wood. The resulting wines typically offer a deep core of black and red fruit, cedar and graphite notes, and firmly structured tannins that soften and integrate with several years of bottle age. In cooler vintages the wines show elegant restraint and mineral lift while in warmer years they display fuller ripeness and generous mouthfeel.

Potensac has a reputation for delivering good value among Médoc properties while still offering ageing potential. In the glass the wines are often savory and structured, pairing well with roasted meats and mature cheeses. Recent efforts toward sustainable vineyard practices and precise cellar work continue to refine the estate style, making Château Potensac a reliable expression of Médoc character with both immediate appeal and the capacity to evolve gracefully in the cellar.