CHÂTEAU LA CONSEILLANTE

The 2016 La Conseillante is a brilliant wine from the team led by Technical Director Marielle Cazaux. Polished and sophisticated, the 2016 possesses stunning vertical lift, with soaring aromatics that make a strong first impression. Silky and seductive on the palate, the 2016 is all about precision and energy in the early going. It is also one of the most quite, soft-spoken Pomerols of the vintage. Hints of blackberry, lavender, licorice and spice add nuance, but in 2016 La Conseillante stands out for its sublime balance and total sense of harmony. The 2016 spent 17 months in oak, 70% new. As gorgeous as the 2016 is, my impression is that the best is yet to come. Since arriving at La Conseillante, Cazaux has changed much in the farming of the property, including introducing cover crops and limiting yields. She also now works with no sulfites in winemaking and opts for lower temperatures in fermentation. In other words, the full results of all of that work is yet to be seen. For now, though, the 2016 Conseillante is a pretty special wine. Don't miss it. Tasted two times. Drinking range: 2026 - 2041 Rating: 97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jan 2019)

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. Drinking range: 2023 - 2060 Rating: 96-98 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

Not as aromatic as some of the very top Pomerols. Lovely texture but not as expressive as some. A hint of soapiness. Lots of texture buried under the substance here but needs time for the flavour to develop. Lots to chew on. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 17+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2017)

Bright raspberry and blackberry confiture flavors fill out nicely as they move along, followed by a well-buried graphite edge and a flash of cocoa at the very end. Has a vivid display of fruit and the buried spine to back it up. Rating: 93-96 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2017)

This is the greatest Conseillante in modern times. Full body and incredible tannins that are polished and velvety. The texture lasts for minutes. I am speechless. What a young and awe-inspiring wine! Rating: 99-100 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2017)

This is a big wine, from the colour to the stunning level of fruit and tannin extraction that is not overdone, but is certainly evident. Gorgeous violets and blackberries run through the palate and slightly chewy tannins are extremely well-integrated with the oak. At first you think this carries on the slightly more swaggering style of La Conseillante seen in recent years, with black fleshed fruits and high drama, but as it unfurls in the glass you reclaim also the more floral, vibrant and elegant touches that suggest the heart of this property is unchanged. A touch austere, but that's what you want for long ageing. There is around one degree less alcohol than in 2015, even though they finished picking later. For me, this is a more classic La Conseillante than 2015. The aromatics are just so striking. This is the second year of using biodynamic preparations across the whole vineyard. Michel Rolland consults. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc aged in 70% new oak. Drinking range: 2027 - 2050 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2017)

The 2016 La Conseillante is one of the undisputed stars of the vintage. Dark, rich and voluptuous, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, the 2016 has been simply extraordinary on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, lavender and spice notes flesh out in the glass, but it is the wine's textural feel and overall balance that stand out most. The 2016 is plush, deep and textured, yet retains the super-classic midweight feel that is such a Conseillante signature. Rating: 95-98 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

Back on form after a slight dip in quality in 2015, this feels like a more assured, confident wine, with classic La Conseillante perfume, grassy, leafy freshness, fine-grained tannins and lovely elegance and balance. Deceptively forward, it will age very well. Drinking range: 2026 - 2036 Rating: 95 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2017)

The 2016 La Conseillante comes across ripe and generous on a nose of strawberry, blackberry, rose petal and vanilla, before more tertiary and nobler scents develop. The palate is well balanced with supple tannins and fine acidity. This is disarmingly fleshy, almost corpulent, with impressive depth, though it tightens up toward the finish. Its grace and class still come through, however. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Drinking range: 2024 - 2055 Rating: 95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Dec 1899)