| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Fabulously situated alongside Cheval Blanc and L'Evangile, this property has a long track record of making outstanding Pomerol that is never forced or over-extracted. Purchased by Louis Nicolas in 1871, it has remained in his family's ownership ever since. 11.8 hectares planted with 83% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc. 10.7 ha currently in production. Always consistent and reliable, quality has been further improved in recent years by the production of a second wine - Duo de Conseillante. Winemaker Marielle Cazaux has been doing a fine job since her arrival in 2015.
The 2025 blend is 87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, from a yield of 30 hl/ha. There will be 34,000 bottles produced as well as 4,000 of the Duo. Picking started at the end of August and finished in early September after just six days. Elevage in 70% new oak and 30% in second year oak. They have amphoras but these were not used. 13.5% alcohol.
The 2025 La Conseillante is another brilliant wine in the making for this Pomerol reference point. Wafting from the glass with aromas of ripe mulberries and blackberries mingled with hints of violets and truffle, it's medium- to full-bodied, deep and unctuous, with lively acids, ultra-refined tannins and a long, floral finish. It's a blend of 87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon (from new plantings that already make it into the blend) that attained 13.5% alcohol. Fermentations were capped at 26 degrees Celsius, the coolest ever, to extract selectively, and the entire production is maturing in barriques this year.
The 2025 La Conseillante was cropped at 30 hl/ha and is matured in 70% new oak barrels, there are no amphoras this year as Marielle Cazaux felt the wine needed the micro-oxygenation. It has a very pure nose with black cherries, blueberry and wild strawberry fruit, just a little Burgundy-like in style. A hint of orange rind loiters in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, a silver thread of acidity, quite linear and strict on the entry, gentle grip with a dash of black pepper towards the finish. A second glass that happened to have been opened for an hour revealed some of its opulence that will surely be enhanced during the élevage. It will deserve four to five years in bottle but will have a long life ahead and will give a lot of pleasure. Drinking Window
2032 - 2055
Purple in colour and in fruit on the nose, all cassis and violet with creamy vanilla. The palate is more strict, built around ripe but plentiful tannins that give the fruit lift and savour without masking the heady, perfumed nature of the vintage. This is bright and sweet at once, accented with clove and cinnamon, vibrant with acidity and moreish with a saline kick at the finish. Well done.
Complex already, with blackberry, blueberry, currant and mint aromas that follow through to a medium body with firm tannins and a savory, juicy finish with fresh herbs and an almost rose stem undertone. You can feel the grape skins. Very primary. 87% merlot, 10 cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon.
The 2025 La Conseillante is shaping up to be magnificent. Rich and luscious in the glass, the 2025 offers up an exotic mélange of inky dark fruit, cloves, new leather, licorice and mocha. This is the first vintage that sees the return of Cabernet Sauvignon, historically a part of the blend from at least 1871 to 1956, when frost devastated many vineyards in Pomerol. The 2025 is impressively deep, but also quite vibrant. I can't wait to see how it ages. It's a superb effort from Technical Director Marielle Cazaux and her team. Cazaux made an immediate impact when she arrived in 2015, starting with a move to lower-intervention farming that was immediately apparent. I will have more to say about that and other related subjects in a separate article we will publish later in the year. Tasted two times. 2035-2065.
