Winemaker Notes
Blend: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 La Conseillante sashays out of the glass with the most gorgeous notes of lilacs, Black Forest cake, kirsch and black raspberries plus nuances of cinnamon stick, dark chocolate and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a firm, finely grained texture with bags of perfumed black fruits and wonderful freshness, finishing very long and very fragrant.
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Decanter
A lighter vintage overall, with delicacy and finely-spun tannins. The fruit is sculpted raspberry and red cherry, clearly will be ready to drink before the 2015 and 2016, lots to enjoy with delicate tomato leaf, grilled oak, chocolate shavings and liquorice root. Not too much frost here at La Conseillante, just one small plot at the bottom of the vineyard. 70% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040
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James Suckling
A young red with sweet fruit and very fine tannins, which have a creamy and almost salty sensation. Medium to full body. Blackberries, dark chocolate and bark. Some black tea, too. It shows an energy and tension. The creamy tannins give polish and beauty. Better after 2023.
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Wine Spectator
A tobacco leaf accent pierces the large core of raspberry, plum and blackberry compote flavors, injecting energy as this moves along, pulling juniper, bramble and black tea notes through the finish. Shows lots of detail and energy on the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2038.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Darker notes of iron, truffly earth, and subtle minerality emerge from the 2017 Château La Conseillante. Round and supple on the palate, with impressive concentration, it has velvety tannins, an undeniable chalky minerality, and bright acidity, and it benefits notably from air.
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Wine Enthusiast
A powerfully juicy wine, this has weight as well as elegant sophistication. Generous layers of rich Merlot offer dark black-fruit flavors as well as a jammy balance for the acidity. Drink from 2024.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A source of exceptionally sensual and glamorous red wines, Pomerol is actually a rather small appellation in an unassuming countryside. It sits on a plateau immediately northeast of the city of Libourne on the right bank of the Dordogne River. Pomerol and St-Émilion are the stars of what is referred to as Right Bank Bordeaux: Merlot-dominant red blends completed by various amounts of Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon. While Pomerol has no official classification system, its best wines are some of the world’s most sought after.
Historically Pomerol attached itself to the larger and more picturesque neighboring region of St-Émilion until the late 1800s when discerning French consumers began to recognize the quality and distinction of Pomerol on its own. Its popularity spread to northern Europe in the early 1900s.
After some notable vintages of the 1940s, the Pomerol producer, Petrus, began to achieve great international attention and brought widespread recognition to the appellation. Its subsequent distribution by the successful Libourne merchant, Jean-Pierre Mouiex, magnified Pomerol's fame after the Second World War.
Perfect for Merlot, the soils of Pomerol—clay on top of well-drained subsoil—help to create wines capable of displaying an unprecedented concentration of color and flavor.
The best Pomerol wines will be intensely hued, with qualities of fresh wild berries, dried fig or concentrated black plum preserves. Aromas may be of forest floor, sifted cocoa powder, anise, exotic spice or toasted sugar and will have a silky, smooth but intense texture.