| 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 83% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc. Always consistent and reliable, quality has been further improved in recent years by the production of a second wine - Duo de la Conseillante. Winemaker Marielle Cazaux has been doing a fine job since her arrival in 2015.
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. Drink 2027-2055.
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.
2021 marks the 150th vintage of Nicolas ownership which will be commemorated with a subtly different label at La Conseillante. It was harvested from 28th September to 12th October, starting with Merlot and ending with late-ripening Cabernet Franc plots. This is one of the latest harvests ever and this decision did not affect the yield, which is a healthy 39hl/ha. Extraction was gentle after a cold soak, with 7% of the fermentation carried out in barrel. Maturation will take place in 70% new oak, with 27% in old oak and 3% in amphora. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc and the abv 13.3%. Bright purple in colour with violets, blueberries and baking spices on the nose. The palate retains the same sweetness but offers fresh acidity and grippy, fine tannins, adding a lightly savoury tone and bringing real focus. Tense and tightly coiled, this unforced yet structured wine will need time to unfurl and reveal its potential, but there is a wonderful intensity that builds on the finish and promises an excellent wine in the bottle.
Lovely, balanced and linear with seamless, fine tannins that are soft and creamy. Medium-bodied. Very attractive berry, light walnut and violet character. Long finish.
The 2021 La Conseillante is a blend of 85% Merlot, harvested from 28 September to 1 October, and 15% Cabernet Franc, harvested from 6 to 12 October, with a yield of 39 hl/ha. It is aging 70% in new oak and 3% in amphora. Deep garnet-purple color, it strides confidently out of the glass with notes of fresh blackberries, ripe raspberries, cracked black pepper, and lavender, plus vibrant accents of roses, cinnamon stick, and pencil shavings, Medium-bodied, the palate is soft and quivering with tension, delivering a vibrant core of bright red fruit and subtle spicy sparks, leading to a long minerally finish. pH 3.6.
2027-2039
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.
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.
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.
