Château La Conseillante 2021
• Domaine: Château La Conseillante
• Appellation: Pomerol
• Origin: Right Bank, Bordeaux, France
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.
Tasting Notes
"Flavoursome, sculpted, successful, this is rippling with violet and rosebud aromatics, followed by raspberry and black cherry fruits. It maintains momentum through the mid palate with a creamy texture and gourmet touches of liquorice root, cocoa bean and precisely-expressed slate minerality. Harvest began the latest ever, on September 28 through to October 12, 39hl/h yield, almost exactly average for the property (the average in Pomerol this year was closer to 29hl/h), from 9.77ha of vines in production, 3.6ph, 70% new oak with 3% amphora and 3.5% press wine. A successful showing for the 150th vintage of the estate from director Marielle Cazeaux. Michel Rolland consultant." - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (4/7/2022) Rating: 95, Drink: 2027-2044
"A superb effort that transcends the challenges of the vintage, the 2021 La Conseillante offers up a beautifully perfumed nose of wild berries, raspberry coulis, violets, exotic spices and vine smoke. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, it's a sensual, seamless wine that's deep and layered, structured around supple tannins and lively acids. Perfumed and penetrating, the 2021 isn't the most powerful wine this estate has produced, but it brilliantly exemplifies the rare structural elegance and almost Burgundian aromatic range that so often set this great estate apart from the rest of the Pomerol appellation. It's a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (4/29/2022) Rating: 95-96
"The 2021 Château La Conseillante showed beautifully, and while it's not going to match the all-time greats here, it's a quintessential, elegant, seamless Pomerol in the making. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as a spectacular nose of pure cassis, ripe tobacco, damp earth, and ample floral nuances, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. It's a remarkable effort in this challenging vintage. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, still aging in 70% new barrels, that hit 13.3% alcohol and a pH of 3.6." - Jeb Dunnuck, (6/2/2022) Rating: 93-95
"The 2021 La Conseillante was picked the latest in memory, from September 28 until October 8, at 39hL/ha, and matured in 70% new oak. It comes in at 13.3% alcohol and a pH of 3.6. The beautifully defined bouquet offers blackberry, bilberry and light iris petal scents, just a suggestion of black truffle coming though with time. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and lightly spiced red fruit. There is a very subtle ferrous note, lovely depth and grip on the finish, and a persistent aftertaste. A beautiful La Conseillante courtesy of winemaker Marielle Cazaux and her team." - Neal Martin, VInous, (5/2022) Rating: 95-97
Stock Status | Pre-Arrival |
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Appellation | Pomerol |
Vintage | 2021 |
Brand | Château La Conseillante |
Shipping Weight | 3.000000 |