Chateau Potensac 2017

Great aromatic complexity, immense precision, tannins with exquisite polish and breathtaking freshness, refined, elegant, very long; stunningly good.

Damson plum and red currant fruit is streaked with light charcoal and savory accents, ending with a tug of earth on the finish. A touch old-school, this should develop with a touch of cellaring. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2021 through 2029. 20,833 cases made.

Brambled blackberry and cassis fruits contribute to the ripe but bright feel overall, with perky tannins and an austerity that is clear but not overpowering. Crushed mint on the finish. 13.5% abv. 1% Petit Verdot completes the mix.

Lots of blackberries and currants, as well as violets and stone. Medium to full body. Creamy tannins and a flavorful finish. Precise. A blend of 47% merlot, 35% cabernet sauvignon, 17% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

Only 54% grand vin (usually 60–65%). 47% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. TA (sulphuric) 3.61 g/l, pH 3.7, IPT 62. Working with more small parcels than in the past. Deep cherry red. Lovely bright fruit aroma, really fragrant, almost a touch floral. This has lovely freshness in both the acidity and the tannic structure. Extremely fine tannins, almost delicate, and yet there is an underlying power and persistence. Tannins much finer than I recall from previous vintages. One of my favourite wines of the primeurs tastings. Should be GV. (JH)

The 2017 Potensac has a straightforward, well-defined bouquet with slightly rustic red fruit mixed with tobacco and smoke. The palate is medium-bodied with quite chewy tannins. The acidity gives it freshness and bite, although it just misses a touch of finesse toward the finish. Still, there is fine length. It should drink well for a decade.

Ruby in color with a cedar-wood soul and leafy green spirit, the nose reveals bright red fruits. Medium to full-bodied and nearly approachable already, the willing, accessible fruit shows a cheerful, zippy personality. The wine was produced from a blend of 47% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot.

Lots of mulberry and ripe cherry notes emerge from the 2017 Chateau Potensac, a medium-bodied, elegant, finesse-oriented effort that has ripe tannins, beautiful balance, and a great finish. It shows more cedar pencil and tobacco notes with time in the glass and is a hidden gem to buy a case of and enjoy over the coming 15 years or more.

Kunz barrel sample 18: (47% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, 50 hl/ha, 13.17% alc./vol.) Fragrant, sweet, fruity bouquet with raspberries, currants, mint leaves. Medium-bodied, fresh, fruity palate with delicate fruit, good tannins, a finely muscular structure, subtle aromatics, and a slightly bitter finish.

Herbs, closed bouquet, blue berries, wood, tobacco. Medium-bodied, aromatic palate with a bourgeois structure, fine sandy tannins, good aromatics, nicely dry finish. 17/20 2023 - 2036

A blend of 47% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Potensac is medium garnet in color. It bounds out with ready-to-go notes of redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and Morello cherries, plus hints of dried Provence herbs and tobacco leaf. The palate is light to medium-bodied with chewy tannins and a racy line lifting the delicate flavors, finishing on a ferrous note.

2017 is beguiling yet serious, with a well-defined palate and a crunchy finish.

Fruity wine, ample and sappy, round, with good chew, supple tannins, tasty and long.

Garnet red with violet highlights. Fruity bouquet with good intensity. It reveals subtle barrel-aged notes along with a touch of spice. Juicy, moreish attack. On the palate, the wine is flavorful, slightly creamy, and perfectly balanced. Pleasant freshness and fruity expression on the finish.

The nose is fruity, revealing crushed blackberry, crushed strawberry and crushed raspberry notes, with subtle hints of toasty character. The palate is fruity, balanced and supple, offering juiciness and a fine tension. On the palate, this wine shows notes of juicy raspberry, ripe juicy cherry and, more lightly, blackberry, with delicate touches of toasty oak and almond. The tannins are fine and very slightly tight. A subtle hint of dark chocolate/vanilla appears on the finish/persistence. A lingering gourmet quality on the finish.

Fruity wine, with a soft, fragrant palate that develops with flavor and without any tannic edges. Medium body and length.

Garnet ruby with a light rim. Fragrant wild berries and red currants, backed by waxy notes and cranberry juice. Mid-palate shows finely sandy tannins. Dry, austere finish with plenty of red fruit, juniper and verbena.

90–92. Barrel Sample. Balanced and structured, this wine has plenty of ripe black fruits and attractive acidity. It is juicy, with a black currant flavor and a touch of Cabernet Franc perfume. Already delicious, it will develop quickly.

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color and blended of 47% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Potensac reveals delicate, perfumed scents of roses, chocolate-covered cherries, spice box and mulberries with hints of wild sage and pencil lead. Medium-bodied, the palate exudes freshness with plenty of bright, crunchy black fruits, framed by grainy tannins, finishing with an herbal lift.