Chateau Potensac 2012 Medoc 《ZF639A》

Chateau Potensac is located in the Medoc appellation on the left bank of Bordeaux, France. It was once one of the nine Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel estates, but this system was abolished, and the label was removed from the estate's wines.

The exact history of Chateau Potensac is unknown, except that its first owners were the Liquard family. Later, the Liquard family married into the Delon family, who owned another famous Bordeaux estate, Chateau Léoville-Las Cases, and the estate subsequently passed to the Delon family. The winery was once favored by many wine merchants and was considered to have reached the level of a fifth or even fourth growth before the 1855 classification. Unfortunately, it ultimately fell short in the actual winery classification, only slightly redeeming itself when it was classified as a "Grand Cru Bourgeois" in 1932, showcasing its potential. Since the mid-1970s, under the strong leadership and inspiration of Michel Delon in his later years and his son (from 2000 to the present) Jean-Huber, the winery has consistently ranked among the top wineries in terms of quality. Its vast vineyards produce wines of far superior quality to those found in the Médoc; these exceptional wines are a gift from the combined efforts of the Delon family and cellar owner Michel Delon. 

Currently, Chateau Potensac comprises three vineyards with soils characteristic of the Left Bank, consisting of alluvial gravel and some red clay. Previously, the winery primarily cultivated Cabernet Sauvignon, but in recent years, the proportion of Merlot has increased significantly, now exceeding that of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The total area is 53 hectares, with a grape variety ratio of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc, averaging 25,000 cases per year. The winery is extremely selective in its grape selection; on average, only 40-45% of the grapes are used to produce the flagship wine, Chateau Potensac, while the remainder is used to make the second label, La Chapelle de Potensac. In the winemaking process, the grapes are hand-harvested and fermented in large stainless steel tanks, filtered through egg white, and then aged in oak barrels. 30% of the oak barrels used for fermentation are newly made, while the remaining 70% come from Château Léoville-Las-Cases. 

Rating

Wine Advocate 90 pts

Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux tasting. The 2012 Potensac surpassed my expectations from barrel, because as I stated back then, it has developed more flesh to counterbalance those prenatal hard tannins. It has an attractive if unspectacular raspberry, strawberry and tobacco-scented bouquet, quite closed at first, opaque, but opening with several minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe blackberry fruit laced with tobacco and sea salt. I appreciate the finish here. There is satisfying substance, a gentle grip and a classic pencil lead, almost Pauillac-like finish. Enjoy this upstanding Médoc from Jean-Hubert Delon over the next 10-12 years.