Château La Conseillante 2021

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.
 

"The 2021 La Conseillante is bright, fresh and fruity, with lovely red fruit character and fine balance. Crushed berries, rose petal, lavender, chalk, mint and spice are beautifully delineated. In 2021, La Conseillante is a Pomerol of tension, nerve and delicacy more than volume. Time in the glass brings out bright floral notes that extend the finish. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in French oak—70% new, 27% once-filled barrels and 3% amphora. The 2021 is such a classy wine. I can't wait to see how it ages. The 2021 possesses a Burgundian sense of structure, for lack of a better term. Harvest started on September 28 for the Merlots, very late by recent standards, through October 1. The Cabernets were picked on October 6 and 12. The alcohol (13%) and pH (3.6) readings are those from another era." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (02/28/2024), Ratings: 96

"The 2021 La Conseillante unwinds in the glass with aromas of black raspberries and mulberries mingled with vine smoke, rose petals and spices, framed by a discreet touch of new oak. This is medium to full-bodied, suave and enveloping, with a velvety attack that segues into a layered, multidimensional palate that's framed by ultra-refined tannins and animated by ripe acids. Long and perfumed, this has turned out beautifully. It was bottled in June, seeing three rackings and a very light egg-white fining during élevage." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (02/08/2024) Ratings: 95, Drink: 2027-2055

"Once again you see the subtle floral character of Pomerol in this vintage, and here is a classically balanced La Conseillante. Need to give it a bit of time in the glass to get the creamy mid-palate, but the structure is not closing in on itself as the bigger vintages do at this stage, so you see the silky tannins and fresh acidities. Draws out through the palate, clear salinity on the finish that maintains grip and lift, gentle spice on the finish, white pepper and clove, a very pretty wine, should be ready to drink in three or four years and for 15 years to come. Director Marielle Cazeaux. Michel Rolland consultant. Harvest September 28 to October 12, 39hl/h yield, 70% new oak with 3% amphora and 3.5% press wine. Simple 150th anniversary engraving on the bottle, but the label the same as ever." - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (01/30/2024) Ratings: 95, Drink: 2027-2041

"Iris and raspberry notes on the nose, delicately floral but fresh and lively - just shy of mouthwatering acidity - but enough to create such a lift on the first taste which has a juicy effect. The acidity is nicely balanced but this has such a gentle charm, a suaveness and sensuality to it, tannins are sleek and agile with some bitter dark chocolate and slate edges while the fruit is full of black cherry, plum and blueberry touches. But it’s the texture and the aromatic display that are so captivating - having density and weight but no heaviness. You get the ripeness in the flavour but the overall feeling remains cool and refreshing with tension and terroir on show in the wet stone nuance underpinning the fruit. Just pure grace and precision. An exceptional effort for the estate's 150th vintage. 'The worst thing on the label is the vintage' says general director Marielle Cazeaux "because people think it’s bad, but this is really the DNA of La Conseillante". 3.6pH. Merlot picked from 28th September to 1st October, Cabernet Franc on the 6th and 12th October." - Georgina Hindle, Decanter, (04/01/2022), Ratings: 95

"The 2021 Château La Conseillante checks in as 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc and is a deep purple/ruby-hued effort with vivid redcurrant and plum fruit as well as some sappy tobacco, graphite, and floral notes. These carry to a medium-bodied, fine, finesse-driven Conseillante that has supple, ripe tannins, a bright spine of acidity, and outstanding length. This classic, pretty, incredibly elegant 2021 will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve gracefully through 2046." - Jeb Dunnuck, (04/03/2024) Ratings: 94, Drink: 2028-2046