Château La Conseillante 2021

(13.5% alcohol, 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc) The 150th anniversary is engraved on the bottle, and the aroma is just as memorable: noble, clear and pure—violet, iris, an intoxicating perfume; on the palate, straight and focused, with velvety tannins, crisp fruit, full of tension and life, and an almost never‑ending finish. What a delicacy!

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.

Gorgeous fragrance, very floral and almost evocative in terms of perfume, flowers, spices and dark blue fruits with hints of liquorice. Bright and shiny, but so calm and controlled. A tiny bit grippy from the grainy tannins and oak, a touch tight, but there’s such purity and gently expansive fruit - you can feel the concentration - no green elements, nothing harsh here. Pure and fine, really not a light wine but not heavy either. Crunchy, juicy, not fleshy but there’s texture here enough to give a wide mouthfeel and not feel too lean. Fun and fruity with refinement too so you're getting the Conseillante DNA. I love it, not trying too hard. You're not getting plush power but this is wonderful to open and enjoy.

Blackberry, lavender, dried violet, and sandalwood follow through to a medium body, with very fine, velvety tannins that lend a polished, caressing texture. Fresh and vivid. Drink after 2028.

The 2021 La Conseillante, bottled at the beginning of June 2023, has a very clean and precise bouquet—predominantly red fruit, iris flower, hints of oyster shell and a distant scent of black truffle, all very focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, fresh and showing notable depth. There remains a patina of oak to be subsumed (75% new with 3% in amphora) with flecks of dark chocolate emerging toward the composed finish. This is one Pomerol that will benefit from some bottle age, and I notice more pixelation emerging with time in bottle—a classically styled La Conseillante. 13.3% alcohol

One of the few wines showing better in the bottle than it did from the barrel opens with a gorgeous display of flowers, plums, cherries, incense, black raspberries, mint, and truffles on the nose. The medium-bodied palate is all about elegant, vibrant, sensuous silkiness, providing the perfect backdrop for its array of sweet cherries, kirsch, plums, chocolate, mint, and espresso. The harvest finished on October 10, making this the latest vintage in the estate’s history. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2025–2055.

Dark vivid ruby with purple reflections at the narrow rim. Initially closed, then dark berries, green tea, attractive herbal savoury notes, fir sapling. Mellow palate with ripe, high-quality tannins, good homogeneity, everything well integrated, fresh, neat fruit complements the structure. Soft textural extract, a wine in the style of the château, medium length and aromatic depth.

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.

The 2021 is the 150th vintage of the Nicolas family at La Conseillante. Dark, viscous color. Dark-berried and fleshy, it smells super fresh with the typical La Conseillante fruit component and plenty of blueberry, violet, and cassis in the glass. Super classic, silky, and creamily sweet. On the palate, it is very juicy and clear, with tremendous presence and a wiry, fresh acidity that pulls the strings impressively yet discreetly in the background. A magnificent, finesse-driven Pomerol, ultra-refined and concentrated, yet it feels angelically light and fragrant. Its balance and fine nerviness, with a liqueur-like, fresh finish, are disarming. Eternally long, with silky tannins. The very slight hardness on the retro-aroma will still smooth out.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 39 hl/ha, 13.3% vol. alcohol) Elegant, fresh bouquet with strawberries, raspberry jelly, mint chocolates, fresh herbs, blueberries. Balanced, delicate, fresh palate with subtle sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, varied sweet aromatics, dense, refined structure, and a long, fresh finish with sweet aftertones.

(85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 39 hl/ha, 13.3% vol. alcohol) Elegant, fresh bouquet: strawberries, raspberry jelly, mint pralines, fresh herbs, blueberries. Balanced, finely structured, fresh, delicately fruity palate with gentle sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, varied sweet aromas, dense, refined structure, and a long, fresh finish with sweet echoes. 18/20 2027 - 2048

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.

2021 is the 150th anniversary of La Conseillante. This vintage was harvested between September 28 and October 12 and is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. It has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and leaps from the glass with notes of wild blueberries, raspberry coulis, and kirsch, leading to nuances of red roses, clove oil, underbrush, and charcoal, plus a touch of wild thyme. The light to medium-bodied palate is satiny, smooth, and refreshing, delivering vibrant red and blue fruit layers, with a long finish and suggestions of fragrant earth.

You get the best of Bordeaux, with an open bouquet of crisp, precise blue fruit, evoking a Loire-like freshness that makes it particularly approachable and seductive. This late vintage stands out for the precision of its élevage, which enhances a velvety texture and a beautiful acidic backbone. Ready in about two years, it’s already irresistible.

A seductive, almost hedonistic nose (especially in the context of the vintage) of black and blue fruits. An impressively fleshy, velvety texture—both luxurious and flavorful, rich, supple—with an acidity that lifts, refreshes, and lengthens the whole. The finish is very long, marked by tangy blue fruits. A new style for this cru, both fluid and incisive.

The nose is fruity, fresh, elegant, with a fine and delicate intensity as well as subtlety. It reveals notes of fresh/ripe raspberry, fleshy blackcurrant/strawberry and, more lightly, nutmeg, combined with small touches of lily and violet; hints of pulpy/fresh blackberry; delicate touches of toast and blond tobacco; as well as a subtle hint of iris, caramelization, and an imperceptible hint of Madagascar pepper. The palate is fruity and fresh, offering elegance, juiciness, lovely definition, a fresh/tangy backbone, crunch, delicacy, a graceful airy feel, precision, floral character, gourmandise, crunch, very fine acidity, beautiful salinity, lovely juiciness, and a refined classicism in elegance. On the palate, the wine expresses notes of juicy/fresh blackcurrant, fresh/crunchy raspberry and, more lightly, iris/lily, combined with touches of nutmeg, small crunchy red fruits, as well as delicate hints of nutmeg and fresh blond tobacco, a subtle hint of salinity and a very discreet hint of toasted almond. There is a subtle note of fresh licorice and an imperceptible sappy/fresh sap nuance in the background. A lovely touch of pleasant bitterness carries the finish and persistence.

Dark, vibrant, intense purple color. Very aromatic nose, delicate, fruity and pure, becoming highly perfumed with a swirl. And I recognize La Conseillante! Precise on the attack, particularly aromatic mid-palate, with a supple, beautifully built body, the wine gains in breadth from the mid-palate through the finish. It ends long, flavorful, and complex, with an uncommon glycerol richness for the vintage and no sensation of sharpness. On the contrary, it retains its Pomerol-like silkiness. The meticulous composition is truly moving. Blend: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol: 13.3% – pH: 3.6. Saignée at 10%. Yield: 39 hl/ha. Maturation: 27% in traditional barriques, 3% in amphorae. Harvest dates: from the 28th to October 1st for Merlot, and ideally timed for Cabernet Franc (October 6 and 12). The estate did not suffer frost. Highly committed vineyard work favored a homogeneous flowering with little coulure. The vineyard was deleafed four times and the canopy regularly raised. Its vigorous growth could have hindered the effectiveness of organic treatments. As a result, downy mildew did not impact production. The peace of mind brought by this healthy yield allowed waiting for optimal harvest dates. Bravo!