2023 Château La Conseillante, Pomerol

The 2023 La Conseillante is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Medium in body and silky, with exceptional balance, the 2023 impresses from start to finish. Crushed flowers, lavender, spice, mocha and tobacco are some of the many nuances that emerge over time. More than anything else, the 2023 impresses with its balance and total class. It's a wine that marries the elegance of La Conseillante with a bit more mid-palate resonance and sustain through the finish than some recent vintages. Yields were 43 hectoliters per hectare. Élevage consists of 70% new oak, 27% used barrels and 3% amphora. Tasted two times.

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.

Wow. What beauty, elegance and length in this young wine, with medium body and vivid, bright acidity that gives energy and greater length. The tannins are extremely fine-grained, with an endless, silky texture. Another al-dente wine with brilliance. Goes on for minutes. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc.

One of the great wines of the vintage, and one that can rival its 2022 counterpart, the 2023 La Conseillante wafts from the glass with a strikingly floral bouquet of violets, lilac, raspberries, exotic spices, candied orange, pipe tobacco and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, its textural attack segues into a layered and enveloping core of pure, vibrant fruit framed by sweet tannins and concluding with a long, precise finish. It's 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.