Château La Conseillante 2020

Pleasant aromatic complexity, fruity, with floral accents; of remarkable harmony on the palate, elegant, very long, with noticeable, refreshing acidity; one of the very great wines of the year, very Burgundian in expression.

A seriously memorable wine from La Conseillante in 2020. Uplifting and glamorous with blackcurrant patisserie, scented flowers—the Cabernet Franc showing itself on the nose—alongside herbal touches with dark chocolate. Immediately juicy and so lively and bright on the palate, turning creamy with a combination of chalky and bitter tannins and touches of wet stone, lifted by the almost sweet Merlot fruit with freshness all the way through. A real ‘drink me’ wine with balance and harmony that grows and expands as it opens.

So much black truffle here with dried earth, too. Black berries. Crushed stone. Plus violets. Full-bodied. Very plush with velvety tannins. Gentle yet very structured. Succulent. Clear and bright. Superb depth and length. Goes on and on. Thoughtful. Soulful. Try after 2028.

The 2020 Conseillante offers up gorgeous scents of mocha, cinnamon, lavender and dried herbs. This year’s blend is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, with the Franc very much in evidence, especially in the wine’s aromatic presence. The 2020 is a very restrained, buttoned-up Pomerol, less exuberant than some recent vintages, but super-finessed, pretty much as it was en primeur. It will be interesting to see where this goes. There’s potential for sure, how much is less obvious. The 2020 is very pure but also lithe in feel. It was aged for 16 months in a combination of 70% new oak, 27% once-used barrels and 3% amphora.

The showy display of violets and lilacs that gets the wine going is made even better by accompanying notes of truffle, chocolate, black cherry liqueur, licorice, and plums. However, as enticing as it is aromatically, the silky, fresh, sensuous textures and the level of purity found in the multiple layers of perfectly ripe, elegant fruits are what really seal the deal. The seamless finish, with its energy, concentration, and refinement, seals it. Bottled sexiness—this is so good I couldn’t put the glass down without refilling it. The only reason this hasn’t yet garnered 100 pts is that the perfect 2016 is just a tiny bit better, for now. Don’t be surprised to see this hit 100 pts as it ages. Drink from 2027–2060.

Deep ruby colour with an opaque core, purple reflections. Delicate notes of tobacco and herbal spice back black cherry fruit, some nougat, candied orange zest. On the palate this is juicy and elegant with a fine chocolatey texture, ripe tannins, good freshness, silky and long lasting, mineral, very well balanced, with some ageing potential. Tasted by Peter Moser, 07 June 2020

Fresh and aromatic nose with refined spiciness, violet, wild berries, tobacco and fine oak. Great density but with more emphasis on freshness than opulence, elegant dark berry flavours with silky, fine tannins, nuanced, with a very long and elegant finish.

Another utterly brilliant wine from this team, the 2020 Château La Conseillante is based on 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that saw 70% new French oak. Unquestionably in the same league as the 2019, this beauty offers an incredible bouquet of pure blue fruits, cassis, violets, spring flowers, and truffle. This carries to a full-bodied, seamless, incredibly elegant, layered Pomerol offering perfect tannins, the vibrant, focused, structured style of the vintage, impeccable balance, and a gorgeous finish. As always, this wine is more about purity, finesse, and elegance than power. It offers pleasure even today yet should be given a decade in the cellar, and it will be a 40- to 50-year wine.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: powerful, fresh, silky, complex bouquet; strawberries, mint, pralines, slate. Densely woven, creamy, delicate, sensual palate with powerful, sweet fruit, fine tannins, dense, fine structure, varied, powerful, sweet aromatics, and a very long, fragrant, powerful finish.

Powerful, fresh, silky, complex bouquet: strawberries, mint, pralines, slate. A tightly knit, creamy, finely structured, sensual palate with powerful, sweet fruit, fine tannins, a dense, refined structure, a varied, powerful, sweet aromatic profile, and a very long, fragrant, intense finish. 19/20 2027 - 2048

A blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, La Conseillante 2020 has a pH of 3.67 and a deep garnet-purple color. It waltzes out with energetic scents of crushed blueberries, blackberry preserves, and juicy black plums, giving way to nuances of lilacs, redcurrant jelly, iron ore, and cumin seed, with a touch of fallen leaves. The medium to full-bodied palate is vibrant and intense, featuring a firm, grainy backbone and bright acidity to counter the muscular black fruits, finishing long and mineral-laced.

97-98

A nose full of purity and charm, with aromas of cedar and spices that hint at the power of the fruit. Undoubtedly the purest and brightest vintage for La Conseillante since the arrival of the Château’s Director Marielle Cazaux. A palate bursting with red fruit, voluptuous, with silky, slightly chalky tannins.

The wine’s freshness is a relevant leitmotif, yet in 2020 it wasn’t a given. Viticultural practices, in response to heat and water stress, helped to shape the wine and impart as much energy as possible. Let’s start with the mouthfeel, where charm and power go hand in hand, but with a tannic grip that puts that charm exactly where it belongs—around the wine! Add the acidic structure and you begin to understand the excellent qualities of 2020 at La Conseillante. The tannic weave is ideally complemented by a refreshing tension; when these two elements are in sync, nothing can resist them! La Conseillante 2020 shows rare freshness and, above all, the wine can already be enjoyed in its youth… and those who choose to cellar it will only be rewarded. A great wine is always good—right after bottling, at one year, ten, twenty… and beyond!

(87% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc) The nose is elegantly fruity, with lovely delicacy in its richness and a certain depth. You sense a silky side, fine-grained texture, and precise, delicate elegance. There are notes of pulpy blackcurrant, blueberry, and, more subtly, dense, indulgent pulpy red fruits, with hints of almost-roasted small berries. Delicate touches of cornflower and lily appear, along with subtle notes of cardamom and a discreet hint of star anise and Bourbon vanilla. Little by little, notes of toast and toasted almond also emerge. The palate is fresh, mineral, and elegant, with beautiful definition marked by delicacy and harmony. The tangy backbone brings an airy feel to its energy and silkiness, with lovely finesse of grain… Like lace! We find notes of juicy, tangy blackcurrant, almost-crunchy fresh raspberry, and, more lightly, juicy fresh blue fruits, with hints of graphite and star anise, as well as fine accents of fresh lily, nutmeg, and a subtle note of fresh gravel expressing a racy minerality. This wine is all about elegance; its power lies in delicacy and subtlety. There is lovely silkiness, a complete, airy feel with supple, elegant tannins. It has an enveloping mouthfeel with depth and a subtle hint of tonka bean on the finish.

Dark, purple, and intense color. Very aromatic nose—delicate, fruity, subtle, pure, and creamy. It becomes more floral with swirling, showing hints of zan, while remaining powerful and fresh. Precise on entry, very aromatic mid-palate, with a Cheval Blanc-like bearing; the wine melts across the palate, regal and sappy. It rises again on the finish with very fresh aromas of licorice, zan, and flowers. Great length on fine tannins.

A fresh scent of licorice-laced, camphor-tinged dark fruit rises on the nose, summoning La Conseillante’s instantly seductive register and confirming its standing in this vintage. It’s no longer news: we’re dealing with one of the Right Bank’s most consistent and precise wines. There’s striking clarity, an irresistible brightness coupled with undeniable depth, echoed on the palate—finely etched, both creamy and taut, energetic—unfurling gently toward a juicy finish. A truly beautiful success.

94–96. Barrel Sample. The wine is dense but the tannins are velvety. The combination gives a wine with obvious power and concentration wrapped in fruit that is perfumed, ripe and shot through with terrific acidity. In the end, those tannins will give the essential structure for long-term aging.