Appellations

Conseillante 2017

Pomerol

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Tasting Notes

The 2017 La Conseillante contains a little less Cabernet Franc than usual because four or five rows were damaged by frost. It has a classic Pomerol bouquet with touches of truffle and incense infusing the broody black fruit that take a few minutes to unwind in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, well balanced with a subtle sprinkling of white pepper and fennel. The Cabernet Franc, despite its diminished contribution, is quite expressive towards the balsamic-tinged finish that shows plenty of energy and decent persistence. It is less powerful than the 2016 at this stage but it is clearly a very well crafted, almost sensual Pomerol by winemaker Marielle Cazaux. Tasted twice with consistent notes, this may well settle at the top of my banded score once in bottle.

Score: 93 - 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022-2045 Date: 01 May 2018

The 2017 La Conseillante is a wine of total finesse and class. Bright, floral and beautifully lifted, the 2017 is exceptionally polished and nuanced from start to finish. Despite its mid-weight, gracious personality, the 2017 has real staying power. Technical Director Marielle Cazaux gave the fruit about 2 days on the skins, with no SO2 at crush. Cazaux added that the malos were quite fast. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Frost reduced production by around 15%, while drought further reduced yields in the Franc by a further 10%. As for the wine, well, the 2017 was magnificent on each of the three occasions I tasted it.

Score: 94 - 97 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Date: 01 May 2018

The 2017 La Conseillante displays a deep garnet-purple color and simply sings of crushed blueberries, mulberries and ripe plums with suggestions of violets, chocolate box, rose hip tea and a waft of menthol. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive richness at this elegant weight coupled with vivacity and supported by plush, velvety tannins, finishing with great length and energy. This is an arrestingly beautiful expression of this vintage!

Score: 95 - 97 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Date: 27 April 2018

One of the sure bets in the vintage is the 2017 La Conseillante, which sports a vibrant ruby color and a deep, concentrated, beautifully layered personality. Black cherries, currants, violets, Asian spice, and truffle all flow to a full-bodied 2017 that has terrific depth of fruit, ripe, sweet tannin, and a great finish. It's an undeniable success in the vintage, if not the wine of the vintage in Pomerol. The blend in 2017 is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, from tiny yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare, aged in 70% new oak. Tasted twice.

Score: 94 - 96 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Date: 23 April 2018

Tight and precise with focused tannins and a lovely texture to this young wine. Medium to full body. Compressed and serious. Some salty and dark fruit at the end.

Score: 94 - 95 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Date: 03 April 2018

Harvest began with the Merlots on gravel at La Conseillante, on 5 September. The temperature dropped, and they had 30mm of rain on the 9th, so they stopped and restarted in mid-September, not picking the Cabernet Franc until 29 September. With 15% lost to frost (just 1.5ha entirely lost), the final yield was 34hl/ha, with no second generation fruit in the wine. I had the chance to taste through the individual components of this wine as well as the blend, and then retasted it the following week. It's an excellent take on the vintage, the austerity coming through on the attack before it opens to a wonderfully smoky mid-palate with loganberry and blackberry fruit, showing real fullness and volume. This has texture, structure and good aromatics, with a great sense of energy and persistency. The plot affected by the frost was a Duo parcel, so they will make a small amount of second wine but not as much as usual, and the overall production will be 85% grand vin. In organic conversion. 70% new oak. 3.6pH.

Score: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2025-2040 Date: 01 April 2018