Château La Conseillante 2023

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.
 

"Under the direction of Marielle Cazaux, La Conseillante has only gone from strength to strength, and the 2023 stands out as one of the wines of the vintage in Bordeaux. The estate's parcels are harvested into 15-kilogram crates, spend the night in a cold room and are sorted the next day, before being vinified, parcel by parcel, with pump-overs by hand. Percentages of new oak have diminished, from 80% between 2011-2014 to only 70% from 2015 onward, but more importantly, the selection of barrels has changed, too, favoring lighter toasts—and cooler temperatures in the chai help too. Contemporary La Conseillante is an immensely sensual, seamless wine, exhibiting striking perfume and purity of fruit, and it's a strong candidate for the title of Pomerol's most elegant—and dare I say it, Burgundian—wine." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, (04/26/2024), Ratings: 98-100

"A clear stand out in 2023. Dark chocolate, bitter toast, blackcurrant, deep, dark and rich tones on the nose. This has both a vibrancy and a richness, a sense of Pomerol opulence, and a coolness on the nose. Supple and energetic, this has movement and weight, juicy with a touch of creaminess. Smooth and sophisticated but still with a hit of acidity on the back palate that lifts and raises the expression the whole way through. Great stuff, sleek, mineral - very saline with licks of wet stone, graphite and liquorice giving slightly bitter edges, but I love the construction. Serious but also fun. Sleek, not rich and fleshy at all, but there’s a thick silkiness to it, nothing harsh, nothing austere or too tart. Really excellent, sweet strawberry, crunchy cranberry and powdery strawberry - lots of brightness and powderiness so you get texture and tension. Another stellar wine from La Conseillante. Buzzy and tangy, maintaining flavour and focus also with great drinkability on offer. A vintage to age. 7.5% press wine." - Georgina Hindle, Decanter, (05/07/2024), Ratings: 98

"The 2023 La Conseillante was picked from September 7, with the final Cabernet Franc brought in on October 2 at 43hL/ha. There were just six days of picking over 3.5 weeks. Matured in 70% new oak, it has a very well-defined bouquet with black cherries, wild strawberries, touches of violet and a hint of crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with a captivating, edgy opening. Just slightly granular in texture thanks to the tannin structure, it’s very harmonious and poised, with a sophisticated, mineral-driven finish. This is an exceptional La Conseillante from Marielle Cazaux and her team. It will rank alongside the 2022 even if it is very different stylistically." - Neal Martin, Vinous, (04/29/2024), Ratings: 96-98

"A punch of floral aromatics sets the scene for this gorgeous wine, and this is a brillant La Conseillante with textured powerful depths to the blueberry and blackberry fruit, laced with cocoa bean and espresso, and a fame of juicy tannins on the giving structure and lift. Easily among the most successful wines of Pomerol in the vintage. Started picking September 7 and finished October 2. 3.6ph. 3% of amphora, 43hl/h yield. 70% aged in new oak. Marielle Cazeaux director." - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, (04/19/2024), Ratings: 97, Drink: 2030-2046

"From yields of 43 hectoliters per hectare, the 2023 Château La Conseillante checks in as a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 70% new French oak, with 3% in amphora. This deep purple-hued beauty offers up a classic Conseillante nose of red and blue fruits, spring flowers, violets, and spice box, and it's such a great example of the complexity and elegance this estate delivers today. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and elegant, it has plenty of tannins, integrated acidity, and a gorgeous finish. This utterly classic, floral Conseillante will need 5-7 years to hit maturity and have 30 years of longevity. The 2023 hit 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.68." - Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2023 En Primeur, (05/08/2024), Ratings: 95-97

"One of the great wines of the vintage, and one that can rival its 2022 counterpart, the 2023 La Conseillante wafts from the glass with a strikingly floral bouquet of violets, lilac, raspberries, exotic spices, candied orange, pipe tobacco and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, its textural attack segues into a layered and enveloping core of pure, vibrant fruit framed by sweet tannins and concluding with a long, precise finish. It's a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, some 30% of which is maturing in amphorae. Harvest began on September 7, lasting until October 2, block by block."