Wines Médoc Château Potensac - Chapelle de Potensac - 2018

Viniou Reviews

Chapelle de Potensac 2018 is the second wine of Château Potensac, crafted in the renowned Médoc appellation of Bordeaux. This red blend typically unites Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, expressing the classic Médoc style. The 2018 vintage benefitted from a warm and sunny growing season with optimal ripening conditions, resulting in ripe tannins and concentrated fruit aromas. The vinification employs traditional Bordeaux methods, with careful extraction and ageing, often for 12 to 14 months in French oak barrels, partially new, ensuring a fine balance between fruit, oak, and structure. In the glass, you can expect vibrant notes of blackcurrant, plum, violet, and subtle cedar, underpinned by a fresh minerality and elegant, supple tannins.

The Médoc is situated on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, benefiting from a temperate maritime climate that mitigates extreme weather, ideal for the slow, even ripening of late-harvest grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. The neighbourly Atlantic breeze helps reduce disease pressure, while the region’s famed gravelly soils, deposited over millennia, provide excellent drainage and force the vines to root deeply, imparting finesse and complexity to the wines. Historically, the Médoc stands among Bordeaux’s most prestigious vineyard areas, renowned for producing structurally robust yet refined wines with impressive ageing potential.

This wine’s youthful vibrancy and harmonious structure make it a perfect companion to classic French cuisine. It complements dishes such as roast lamb with garlic and rosemary, duck breast with red berry sauce, or a traditional Bordelaise entrecôte with shallots. Regional cheeses like Ossau-Iraty or mature Comté also work beautifully, as do earthy mushroom ragouts or wild mushroom risotto.

For an optimal tasting experience, decant the wine for about an hour to allow its aromas to unfurl, and serve it slightly cool, at 16-18°C. This will highlight the wine’s freshness, structure, and layered complexity. Enjoy it over the next five to eight years to appreciate its progression and subtle maturation.