Château la Conseillante

Robert Parker 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.

Vinous The 2021 La Conseillante, which was 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 demonstrating 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-aging, and I notice more pixelation emerging with time in bottle - a classically styled La Conseillante. 13.3% alcohol.

James Suckling 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.