Ch. Potensac

Château Potensac Ordonnac, Bordeaux, France Château Potensac is a fine example of a typical Bordeaux house - and of the obsolescence of the 1855 classification. Potensac was originally owned by the Liquard family. It came into the hands of the current proprietors, the Delons, by marriage. From the 1970s until his death in 2000, it was under the direction of Michael Delon, who saw to it that the unclassified Château reached its full potential. The Delons also own Léoville-Las-Cases in St.-Julien and Château Nenin in Pomerol. Michael’s son, Jean-Hubert, is the current proprietor. Both father and son have seen to the refurbishment of the cellar, with new temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and a regular supply of new oak barrels. At least 30% new oak is used for the grand vin; the remaining 70% are single-use barrels from Léoville-Las-Cases. The vineyards are located in Ordonnac, a small commune within the Médoc appellation, west of St.-Éstephe, closer to the mouth of the Gironde River. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the vineyard, accounting for 60% of the vines. Merlot makes up 25%, and the remaining 10% is Cabernet Franc. The terroir of the vineyards is alluvial gravel with some red clay, and the vines cover 53 hectares. While there is increased investment in adding Merlot to the blend, Potensac is not a fleshy style of Bordeaux; the wines typically lean toward a firmer, more classical structure. This is a surprising fact, as Pierre Rolland, brother of famous oenologist Michel Rolland, has been overseeing the cellar. The Rollands are known for their modernist approach to winemaking, creating plump, silk-textured wines by any means necessary.