2018 was the warmest season of the last 10 years at Potensac, with just under half the usual rainfall over the summer. The property has produced a great bottle: bright and cheery with vibrant fruit, it`s highly enjoyable and approachable. You rarely find such impressive mid-palate focus in the Médoc, and that alone makes this a year worth exploring for the wines at this price level. Drink 2023 - 2034. 91 points

45% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 35% new oak, pH 3.57. Barrel sample. Inky core with purple rim. Such beautifully pure black fruit. Such fine texture and so juicy and lively. Absolutely delicious and fresh with no heaviness and no sense of the alcohol. Low pH because of the terroir, says Pierre Graffeux. They picked the Merlot early and spread out the picking for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Silky finesse and freshness. Lovely wine with a red-fruited brightness and persistence. 17 points

The 2018 Potensac is blended of 45% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, all harvested between September 21 and October 13, with yields of 49 hectoliters per hectare. The wine has 14.42% alcohol and is to be aged in barriques, 35% new; the finished blend was put into barrels last December. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls effortlessly out of the glass with bright, fresh red and black plums, crushed blackcurrants and bay leaves with hints of cracked pepper and damp soil. Full-bodied, rich and laden with red and black fruit layers, it has a plush frame of rounded tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing long. 90-92 points