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La Conseillante 2016

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Franc

Fabulously situated alongside Cheval Blanc and L'Evangile, this property has a long track record of making outstanding wine that is never forced or over-extracted. Always consistent and reliable. Quality has been further improved in recent years by the production of a second wine - Duo de la Conseillante. This is made from the less well situated vines near to Beauregard and represents up to 25% of the crop in 2015.

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château La Conseillante

Label

Tasting Notes

The 2016 La Conseillante is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc aged in 70% new and 30% one-year-old French oak for 17 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it slips provocatively out of the glass with a lifted perfume of roses, candied violets and lavender over a core of warm red and black plums, chocolate box, unsmoked cigars and baked cherries with wafts of wild thyme and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate exudes polish and sophistication with bags of fragrance, freshness and energy, sporting exquisitely fine-grained tannins and finishing very long and minerally. Around 3,808 cases produced. Drink 2022-2057.

98+
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (Interim), November 2018

The aromas of violets and dark berries with licorice and sweet black tea are so attractive. What really impresses is the sweet fruit in the dense middle palate. So attractive. At the same time, there’s plenty of plush and ripe tannins that give the wine form and brightness. And it still remains bright on the finish, as the tannins roll on. A great Conseillante. Try after 2024.

99
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2019

This is a big wine, from the colour to the stunning level of fruit and tannin extraction that is not overdone, but is certainly evident. Gorgeous violets and blackberries run through the palate and slightly chewy tannins are extremely well-integrated with the oak. At first you think this carries on the slightly more swaggering style of La Conseillante seen in recent years, with black fleshed fruits and high drama, but as it unfurls in the glass you reclaim also the more floral, vibrant and elegant touches that suggest the heart of this property is unchanged. A touch austere, but that's what you want for long ageing. There is around one degree less alcohol than in 2015, even though they finished picking later. For me, this is a more classic La Conseillante than 2015. The aromatics are just so striking. This is the second year of using biodynamic preparations across the whole vineyard. Michel Rolland consults. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc aged in 70% new oak.

Drinking Window 2027 - 2050

96
Jane Anson, Decanter.com, April 2017

Not as aromatic as some of the very top Pomerols. Lovely texture but not as expressive as some. A hint of soapiness. Lots of texture buried under the substance here but needs time for the flavour to develop. Lots to chew on.
Drink 2026-2040

17+
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2017

Bottled in June of 2018, the 2016 Château La Conseillante is a beautifully seamless yet powerful version of this cuvée that has the hallmark fragrance and elegance of the estate front and center. Complex blackberries, cassis, flowers, incense, forest floor, and floral notes all soar from this full-bodied, pure, and polished Pomerol that has an undeniable class as well as wonderful purity of fruit, perfect integration of its tannins and acidity, and a blockbuster finish. It's an incredibly complete wine that flirts with perfection and will keep for 30-40 years. The blend is 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new French oak, with the balance in once-used barrels. There are less than 4,000 cases made, but this is a wine you want in your cellar. 2019 - 2059.

99
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, February 2019

The nose is fragrant violets and bramble the palate rich with concentrated black fruit supple and fleshy in the middle ripe damsons. The tannins are wrapped round with fruit discreet the rich ripe fruit is underpinned by freshness the back palate lighter, stylish, elegant. 2026-41

95/97
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2017

Back on form after a slight dip in quality in 2015, this feels like a more assured, confident wine, with classic La Conseillante perfume, grassy, leafy freshness, fine-grained tannins and lovely elegance and balance. Deceptively forward, it will age very well. 2026-36

95
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2017
Read more tasting notes...

The 2016 La Conseillante is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc picked from 22 September to 13 October and 12-17 October at 39.5 hectoliters per hectare. Winemaker Marielle Cazaux told me that there is 13.8% alcohol, nearly one degree less than in 2015, with a pH of 3.65 and it is matured in 70% new oak. This has a succinct bouquet that is stylistically not that far removed from its neighbor Vieux Château Certan: detailed and understated at first with scents of blackberry, wild hedgerow and a touch of pressed flowers. The palate is very well balanced with a fine backbone, but what really marks out this La Conseillante is the salinity that comes through on the second half. It exerts a gentle grip in the mouth, reveals a little spiciness towards the finish whereupon it gently fans out, leaving a touch of black pepper on the saline aftertaste. This is a classic La Conseillante and the best since the majestic 2010. Similar to that vintage, it will require several years in bottle, but it will be well worth the wait. Drink 2023 - 2060.

96/98
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (230), April 2017

This is the greatest Conseillante in modern times. Full body and incredible tannins that are polished and velvety. The texture lasts for minutes. I am speechless. What a young and awe-inspiring wine!

99/100
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2017

I suspect the finest vintage ever for this estate, the otherworldly 2016 La Conseillante is the normal 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 70% new French oak. It offers a smorgasbord of aromas and flavors with notions of cassis, smoked herbs, forest floor, and subtle background oak all soaring from the glass. Full-bodied, opulent, and sexy, with the hallmark elegance of the estate, it has beautiful mid-palate density and a blockbuster finish. Don’t miss it.

96/100
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, November 2017
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.