Château La Conseillante 2023

Extremely perfumed, with aromas of violets, sandalwood, licorice dark roses and a black cherry undertone. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that deliver superb length and balance. Wonderfully vivid texture and palate with electric length. Seamless, captivating and rather ethereal. Tangy. Reminds me of the gorgeous 1990. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc. Best after 2029.

From bottle, the 2023 Château Cheval Blanc is one of the most compelling wines of the vintage, just as it was from cask. Bursting with aromas of cherries and mulberries mingled with notions of violets, rose petal and anise, it's full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a deep and enveloping core of vibrant fruit, ripe tannins and a long, expansive finish. It's a blend of 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, drawing on fully 46 of the blocks that make up Cheval Blanc, and it attained 13.8% alcohol.

A punch of floral aromatics sets the scene for this gorgeous wine, and this is a brillant La Conseillante with textured powerful depths to the blueberry and blackberry fruit, laced with cocoa bean and espresso, and a fame of juicy tannins on the giving structure and lift. Easily among the most successful wines of Pomerol in the vintage. Started picking September 7 and finished October 2. 3.6ph. 3% of amphora, 43hl/h yield. 70% aged in new oak. Marielle Cazeaux director.

Reminding me of the 2019 with its overall harmony and elegance, the 2023 Château La Conseillante reveals classic Conseillante darker blue fruits, spring flowers, violets, and iris petals on the nose. This cuvée is always about finesse and elegance, and the 2023 has it in spades, with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Based on 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc and aged 15 months in 70% new French oak with 27% one-wine barrels and 3% amphoras, this pure, seamless, ultra-classic Pomerol is already impossible to resist today yet should cruise for three decades. There are roughly 4,100 cases produced. Drink 2026-2055.

The 2023 La Conseillante is very clearly one of the standouts of the year. Plush contours wrap around a core of blueberry fruit as lavender, cloves, chocolate and licorice weave across the palate. The purity here is just remarkable, especially in the bouquet. Seamless in the glass, the 2023 impresses with its understated intensity and svelte personality. It is one of the most outstanding wines of the year. An archetype. In short, the 2023 is très Conseillante. If anything, I may be underestimating it. Tasted two times.

Beautiful blackcurrant and violet nose, soft, clean and fragrant. Smooth, juicy, almost racy with such energy and focus. Plush and complex, very Pomerol, with great length and dark fruit, herbs and gentle spices. It evolves in the glass, chalky and fleshy, but clean and cool, almost sweet but somehow not at the same time. Savoury minerality on the finish leaves you wanting to come straight back for more. Purity, classicism and elegant expression.