La Conseillante 2016 (750ML)

99 JS / 98+ WA / 97 DE / 97 VM

#11 Jeb Dunnuck’s Top 100 Wines of 2019 

#53 James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines of 2019 

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. - James Suckling

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. - LPB, Wine Advocate

The aromatics leap out of the glass, utterly luscious and on a tightrope between power and elegance, displaying notes of rosemary, spice and rich liquorice alongside bursts of minerality. It stretches out through the tight palate, becoming juicy on the finish, This is one of the best of the tasting, so fine is its tannic structure - you almost overlook them at first, but the tannins slowly build. It's just as gorgeous as during en primeur, but with an extra kick. It will clearly age well. 70% new oak. They follow biodynamic practices in the vineyard. Michel Rolland consults. - Jane Anson, Decanter

The 2016 La Conseillante is a brilliant wine from the team led by Technical Director Marielle Cazaux. Polished and sophisticated, the 2016 possesses stunning vertical lift, with soaring aromatics that make a strong first impression. Silky and seductive on the palate, the 2016 is all about precision and energy in the early going. It is also one of the most quite, soft-spoken Pomerols of the vintage. Hints of blackberry, lavender, licorice and spice add nuance, but in 2016 La Conseillante stands out for its sublime balance and total sense of harmony. The 2016 spent 17 months in oak, 70% new. As gorgeous as the 2016 is, my impression is that the best is yet to come. Since arriving at La Conseillante, Cazaux has changed much in the farming of the property, including introducing cover crops and limiting yields. She also now works with no sulfites in winemaking and opts for lower temperatures in fermentation. In other words, the full results of all of that work is yet to be seen. For now, though, the 2016 Conseillante is a pretty special wine. Don't miss it. Tasted two times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Very sweet and fleshy fruit, much in line with the 2015 profile for this wine but with less alcohol. There is a very charming black and mineral quality to the wine. Very alluring la Conseillante. Definitely in the top Pomerols for the vintage. - GVWM