Château La Conseillante is one of the estates belonging to the upper echelon of Pomerol. We spent some time in the vineyard before touring the new vat cellar. The visit ended with a tasting.
General Manager/ Winemaker Marielle Cazaux was our host.
History
The beginnings of Château La Conseillante go back to the mid 18th century. Madame Catherine Conseillan was owner and in charge of the estate and gave it its name. She had no heirs and the estate passed to relatives, was sold and bought a couple times and finally found its masters in the Nicolas family. It was Louis Nicolas, owner of a négociant business in Libourne, who purchased Château La Conseillante in 1871. Since then it has been continuously passed on to the next generation of the family and today the 5th generation is at the helm.
Today, it is the turn of the fifth generation of the Nicolas to manage the estate. Bertrand Nicolas and Jean-Valmy Nicolas are the joint managing directors of La Conseillante. Marielle Cazaux is the estate manager. Château La Conseillante is a member of the Union des Grands Crus.
In 2007, Château La Conseillante launched its Second Wine “Duo de Conseillante”. Made with fruit from younger vines, “Duo” nevertheless expresses all the complexity and elegance of this great Pomerol terroir with its hints of liquorice, violets and red berry fruit.
Vineyard
La Conseillante's 13 hectares of vineyards are located on a plateau in eastern Pomerol on the boundary with the St-Emilion appellation. Its vineyards border those of L`Evangile, Petit-Village, Vieux Château-Certan and Cheval Blanc. This estate is relatively small – but typical for the right bank – compared with the châteaux on the left bank.
The vineyard, predominantly clay soil, is made up of 80% Merlot, which gives round, full and smooth wines. The remaining 20% is Cabernet Franc, planted in gravel soils, which brings structure and freshness to the blend. “Reasoned” environmentally-aware vine growing methods are applied.
Cellar
A major renovation was completed in 2012 and temperature-controlled concrete tanks installed. The new vat cellar enables an individual, tailor-made vinification of the 18 vineyard plots that cover the estate's 12 hectares. The wine is then aged in small oak casks (90% new) for 18-20 months. It is bottled unfiltered.
Team
In 2015 a new director came on board, Marielle Cazaux, who studied enology at Bordeaux and was the director at neighboring Chateau Petit-Village before joining the team at La Conseillante.
Bertrand Nicolas, Jean-Valmy Nicolas and Henri Nicolas own the estate.
Michel Rolland joined the La Conseillante team as a consultant in 2013.
Tasting
2015 Château La Conseillante
wine-searcher average price: US$165
The 2015 La Conseillante, a blend of 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc, is extraordinarily pure and elegant on the nose. Here, I find a little more red fruit than black fruit, extremely elegant and articulating the terroir with great clarity. At first, wild strawberry and cranberry, then crushed stone, a touch of black truffle and tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and elegant with fine tannin on the entry. This is one of the most approachable La Conseillante wines that I have tasted in barrel, the acidity very well judged, 'classic' in style, good backbone here with a structured finish. It does not quite possess the bravura of the 2010 La Conseillante and I would agree with winemaker Marielle Cazaux that it bears more semblances to the 2005 La Conseillante at this stage, and even bore common traits with its neighbour, Vieux Château Certan. This is an intellectual and to put it prosaically, 'delicious' La Conseillante. (NM) (4/2016)
2016 Château La Conseillante
wine searcher average price: US$2013
96-98 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 La Conseillante is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc picked from 22 September to 13 October and 12-17 October at 39.5 hectoliters per hectare. Winemaker Marielle Cazaux told me that there is 13.8% alcohol, nearly one degree less than in 2015, with a pH of 3.65 and it is matured in 70% new oak. This has a succinct bouquet that is stylistically not that far removed from its neighbor Vieux Château Certan: detailed and understated at first with scents of blackberry, wild hedgerow and a touch of pressed flowers. The palate is very well balanced with a fine backbone, but what really marks out this La Conseillante is the salinity that comes through on the second half. It exerts a gentle grip in the mouth, reveals a little spiciness towards the finish whereupon it gently fans out, leaving a touch of black pepper on the saline aftertaste. This is a classic La Conseillante and the best since the majestic 2010. Similar to that vintage, it will require several years in bottle, but it will be well worth the wait. (NM) (4/2017)
Château La Conseillante, Appellation Pomerol
Owner: SC des Héritiers Nicolas
Managing Directors: Dr Bertrand Nicolas and Jean-Valmy Nicolas
Estate Manager: Marielle Cazaux
Consultant: Michel Rolland
Soil composition: 60% grey clay and 40% sandy gravel over a sub-soil of red clay containing iron deposit (crasse de fer)
Grape types: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Pruning: Double Guyot
Density of plantation: 7,000 vines per hectare on average
Yield: 35 to 40 hectolitres per hectare
Average age of vines: 34 years
Harvesting: By hand, in small crates
Sorting: By hand and machine on 4 tables
Vinification: Pre-fermentation cold soak for 2 to 4 days. Vatting period: 2 to 4 weeks
Vats: 22 epoxy-lined concrete vats. Fully temperature-controlled
Selection: Vertical wine press and separate ageing of press wines
Ageing: 50% to 80% in new French oak barrels
Duration: 18 months
Racking: Every 3 months, using a traditional bellow pump
Fining: In barrel, 2 to 3 fresh egg whites per barrel
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