Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend

The 2010 La Conseillante has been spellbinding since I first tasted it from barrel. It has an intense nose with black plum, cedar and graphite. It is vibrant and compelling with scents of camphor intertwined. Wonderful delineation; there are layers of aromatic complexity. The palate is beautifully knit with a touch of black pepper and thyme filtering through the black fruit. It retains so much energy on the finish as it fans out with class and verve. Magnificent. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the Icons of Bordeaux dinner at Legacy Records in New York. (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2024)

The 2016 La Conseillante is a benchmark wine for the estate, perhaps the first where winemaker Marielle Cazaux really made her mark. It has a divine bouquet that halts you in your tracks with its purity. Almost Burgundian in style, black fruit intermixes with blue, just a background scent of incense - less vanillary than before. The palate is marked by svelte tannins, cashmere in texture with just a trace of white pepper. The finish has a welcome sense of edginess with hints of graphite on the aftertaste. It's just the opening chapter in what will be an awesome Pomerol. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the Icons of Bordeaux dinner at Legacy Records in New York. (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2024)

The 2015 La Conseillante is entertaining the idea of drinkability, though I would personally cellar mine for another couple of years. It is gorgeous on the nose and offers precocious truffle-infused black fruit, maybe a little glossy in style. The palate has a cashmere texture, pliant tannins, tremendous weight and depth without the mineralité that renders the 2016 or 2020 more exciting long-term propositions. Nevertheless, this is a wonderful Pomerol with a long future head. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)

The 2017 La Conseillante has firmed up in recent months. This bottle was decanted for a couple of hours, and to be frank, I had reckoned on it being more open. More fool me! This is tight and intense on the nose, beautifully defined yet clearly shutting down. The firmness that I alluded to in my previous note is more accentuated, and as such, I would give this several years before broaching. (Neal Martin, Vinous, January 2023)

Deep and sexy. A hint of dried wood. Dark plum and underbrush. Gnarly and delicious. Seems a bit brutish alongside a perfectly stored 90. Very good though.

The 2019 La Conseillante was stellar from the sample sent to "Martin Towers" in spring 2020, and the news is that there is no change in bottle. Allowed to open while gossiping away with winemaker Marielle Cazaux (you have to catch up when you are unable to see people regularly), the 2019 unveils an awesome, extraordinarily pure bouquet that seduces the senses, featuring dark cherries, blueberry, pressed violet and a touch of blood orange, all displaying wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied and cohesive, with fine-grained tannins and a judicious touch of black pepper toward the finish, which fans out gloriously while maintaining a sense of class. The best La Conseillante since the 2010? No - better. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2022)

The 2019 La Conseillante is elegant and nuanced, just as it was from barrel. All of the freshness and energy that was present en primeur comes through in the bottle. There is an element of sophistication, of reserve, that needs time to be fully expressive. The 2019 is a wine of linear precision more than volume or density. It should age exquisitely for many years to come. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2022)

Not a renowned vintage but this was lovely. Smooth and supple, dark fruit, pine, leather, tobacco, bell pepper, earth. The cab franc definitely comes through.

Wine of the vintage candidate for me !

The 2005 La Conseillante is a rich, heady Pomerol. Crème de cassis, lavender, chocolate, leather, espresso, licorice and sweet French oak infuse the 2005 with tremendous character. The 2005 is, naturally, a wine of its era. There is quite a bit of extraction and tannin, and yet the wine has aged impeccably. Time in the glass brings out energy and aromatic lift to round things out nicely. The 2005 just got better and better with time, so I suggest giving it a good bit of air. I would prefer to drink it over the next decade or so. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2021)