Chateau Potensac

Originally under the aegis of the Liquards, Chateau Pinsac fell into the hands of its new owners with the marriage of Paul Delon to Liquard’s daughter. Unsurprisingly, the estate has flourished under the direction of the Delon family name – one that is usually associated with more renowned states such as Leovile-Las Cases in St. Julien. Run by Michel Delon from the 1970s, he passed away in 200, leaving his son Jean-Hubert to take up the reigns.

The estate incorporates the vines of three properties, which are all managed as a single entity: Chateau Potensac, Gallais-Bellevue and Lassalle. The soil is a mixture of the alluvial gravel of the left bank with rich red clay. Vines span a sizeable 53 hectares planted at 60 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 per cent Merlot and 15 per cent Merlot. Harvesting is manual and, after rigorous sorting, fermentation takes place in thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks. Only just over half of all grapes meet the exacting standards set for the grand vin, Chateau Potensac. The rest are either diverted to the second wine, La Chapelle de Pontensac (though the name Chateau Lassalle has been made use of in the past, and may yet reappear). There are around 25,000 cases to be had per annum.