Château La Conseillante 2009

With its striking violet hued capsule and elegant label, Château La Conseillante is a Pomerol producer that can captivate on looks alone.  It is regarded as one of the finest producers in Pomerol, with top tier neighbors like Château Pétrus and Château Cheval Blanc.  Château La Conseillante is a consistently excellent wine that has the rare aroma of violets.  The label of this beautiful bottle is an homage to this striking aroma that is unique to this estate and the precious terroir it rests upon.  Without a doubt, Château La Conseillante is one of the jewels of the Right Bank, hosting enough delicate complexity to please any Pomerol lover.
 
The history of Château La Conseillante is a rich and lengthy one.  It is one of the oldest estates in Pomerol and was founded by Catherine Conseillan.  Catherine was known as, “the Iron Lady,” and was a formidable force in the wine industry.  It was Catherine Conseillan who created the 12-hectare property, choosing only the choicest parcels upon the Catusseau plateau.  She named the property after a feminized version of her last name, and thus Château La Conseillante was born.  The estate changed hands numerous times until it was acquired by the Nicolas family in 1871.  Louis Nicolas was a prominent force in Pomerol, he created the Pomerol Wine Grower’s union to help launch the smaller appellation’s trajectory as a wine producing region.  Amazingly enough, the Nicolas family still owns the property.  They approach the land with reverence, believing that each line of vignerons should have the same goal: to preserve the land and pass it on to the next generation.
 
Creating the grand vin at La Conseillante was a family run operation until 2001, when they hired the hardworking and talented Jean-Michel Laporte to tend to the vines and create the grand vin.  Jean-Michel made the decision to bring on Michel Rolland to consult at the property.  Marielle Cazaux is currently the managing director and winemaker at Château La Conseillante, and she brings her extensive knowledge from Château Petit-Village to this esteemed property.   
 
Château La Conseillante was the first producer on the Right Bank to vinify in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks.  The vat room was renovated in 2011, with 22 new areal concrete tanks an additional underground concrete vat.  The vineyard is a mosaic of different clay soils, ranging from shades of red, grey,  and the famous blue clay associated with Château Pétrus.  Vines of Merlot and Cabernet Franc thrive within this mixture of clays and are 35 years old. If one is fortunate enough to visit this beautiful estate, they will find the majority of the Cabernet Franc vines are planted on more graveled soils, closer to Château Cheval Blanc.  
 
If the wine of Château La Conseillante could be boiled down to one word, it would be, “elegance.”  Though it does require a few years in bottle, one does not have to wait long.  It is truly a perfect wine for those who favor a Pomerol with plenty of finesse.
 

"Now that La Conseillante is making a second wine with more severe selection, think of the 2009 as a version of the 2000 on steroids. This is never going to be a blockbuster wine, because the terroir just seems to produce silky, elegant wines, but in this case, the 2009 has an extra kick and level of concentration that is unprecedented. Inky bluish purple, with an extraordinary nose of framboise, black raspberries, spring flowers, spice box, and a hint of truffle, the wine has great depth, full-bodied opulence, silky tannins, enormous power and richness, but again, a vibrancy and uplift that are just freakish in this vintage. That’s one of the great hallmarks of 2009 and one that will always stand out over the next 30 years. This wine should be drinkable in 5-7 years and last 40 or more. (Tasted three times.)" - Robert Parker Jr., The Wine Advocate (4/26/2010, Issue 188), Ratings: 95-98, Drink: 2015-2055

''Similar in style to the 2015, the 2009 La Conseillante is another sexy, seductive, opulent even, Pomerol that offers a huge array of spiced dark fruits, cured meats, crushed flowers, and truffle. Deep, full-bodied, layered and beautifully pure, with an extroverted personality that just begs to be drunk, it will keep for another three decades or more.'' Jeb Dunnuck, Let the Good Times Roll: 2015 Bordeaux from Bottle (11/30/2017) Ratings: 96 Drink: 2018-2038

''The medium to deep garnet colored 2009 La Conseillante strides confidently out of the glass with very classy Black Forest cake, blueberry compote and kirsch scents plus suggestions of violets, liquid licorice, cardamom and bay leaves with a touch of eucalyptus. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is elegantly fruited with a firm, grainy frame and oodles of freshness, finishing long and minerally.'' Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (3/14/2019) Ratings: 96 Drink: 2020-2048

''Creamy, deep, textured and nuanced, and after 12 years the terroir is stepping up and taking control. Soft leather notes, tobacco, soot, crème caramel, raspberry and soft strawberry puree. This is pretty much ready to drink, opulent and impressive but a little more evolved than other 2009 Pomerols that I have tasted recently. It may be bottle variation,but I would definitely suggest enjoying the exuberance of this in the next 5 to 10 years and leave the 2010 for the real time in the cellar. 100% new oak. Harvest September 14 to 38.'' Jane Anson, Best Pomerol 2020 Wines Tasted En Primeur (11/03/2021) Ratings: 95 Drink: 2024-2038