Château La Conseillante 2023

Just as it was from cask, the 2023 La Conseillante is one of the vintage's most exciting wines in bottle. Offering up lavish aromas of ripe blackberries and mulberries mingled with hints of violets and mint, it's medium- to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, with an ample core of fruit, beautifully refined tannins and a long, perfumed finish. Readers who own both the deeper-pitched, elegantly muscular 2022 and the utterly charming, hedonistic 2023 will enjoy comparing and contrasting the two over the decades to come. The 2023 is a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, some 30% of which is maturing in amphorae. Harvest began on September 7, lasting until October 2, block by block.

Beautiful blackcurrant and violet nose, soft, clean and fragrant. Smooth, juicy, almost racy with such energy and focus. Plush and complex, very Pomerol, with great length and dark fruit, herbs and gentle spices. It evolves in the glass, chalky and fleshy, but clean and cool, almost sweet but somehow not at the same time. Savoury minerality on the finish leaves you wanting to come straight back for more. Purity, classicism and elegant expression.

Extremely perfumed, with aromas of violets, sandalwood, licorice dark roses and a black cherry undertone. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that deliver superb length and balance. Wonderfully vivid texture and palate with electric length. Seamless, captivating and rather ethereal. Tangy. Reminds me of the gorgeous 1990. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc. Best after 2029.

The 2023 La Conseillante was picked from September 7, with the final Cabernet Franc brought in on October 2 at 43hL/ha. There were just six days of picking over 3.5 weeks. Matured in 70% new oak, it has a very well-defined bouquet with black cherries, wild strawberries, touches of violet and a hint of crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with a captivating, edgy opening. Just slightly granular in texture thanks to the tannin structure, it’s very harmonious and poised, with a sophisticated, mineral-driven finish. This is an exceptional La Conseillante from Marielle Cazaux and her team. It will rank alongside the 2022 even if it is very different stylistically. - Neal Martin.

L’un des vins les plus raffinés du millésime sur cette rive. Nez ouvert sur la violette, la bouche déroule un tannin satiné qui prend de l’intensité au fil de l’ouverture. Finale saline et florale qui monte, pomerol de très haut vol.

From yields of 43 hectoliters per hectare, the 2023 Château La Conseillante checks in as a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 70% new French oak, with 3% in amphora. This deep purple-hued beauty offers up a classic Conseillante nose of red and blue fruits, spring flowers, violets, and spice box, and it's such a great example of the complexity and elegance this estate delivers today. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and elegant, it has plenty of tannins, integrated acidity, and a gorgeous finish. This utterly classic, floral Conseillante will need 5-7 years to hit maturity and have 30 years of longevity. The 2023 hit 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.68.