Chateau La Conseillante 2016

Chateau La Conseillante 2016: A well-balanced Pomerol

Chateau la Conseillante is a 12 hectare estate in the Pomerol appellation. The vines are planted on a clay-limestone soil. The wine is aged in barrels, 70% are new. Chateau La Conseillante 2016 is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. 

After a hot and dry summer, and a few heat-relieving rains in September, the plots of land were harvested from September 22^nd-October 17^th.

Chateau La Conseillante 2016 has aromas of black fruits, vegetal and floral aromas. The mouth is beautifully balanced with great finesse and a hint of salinity. This wine is soft in the mouth, with spicy notes. The finish is salty with remnants of black pepper.

Wine Advocate-Parker :
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.