La Conseillante 2021 (750ML)

96 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com: "Blackberry, lavender, dried violet, and sandalwood follow through to a medium body, with very fine and velvety tannins that give a polished and caressing texture. Fresh and vivid. Drink after 2028." 01/24

95 Points, Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux: "Flavoursome, sculpted, successful, this is rippling with violet and rosebud aromatics, followed by raspberry and black cherry fruits. It maintains momentum through the mid palate with a creamy texture and gourmet touches of liquorice root, cocoa bean and precisely-expressed slate minerality. Harvest began the latest ever, on September 28 through to October 12, 39hl/h yield, almost exactly average for the property (the average in Pomerol this year was closer to 29hl/h), from 9.77ha of vines in production, 3.6ph, 70% new oak with 3% amphora and 3.5% press wine. A successful showing for the 150th vintage of the estate from director Marielle Cazeaux. Michel Rolland consultant.” 04/22

94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: "The 2021 La Conseillante, which was bottled at the beginning of June 2023, has a very clean and precise bouquet—predominantly red fruit, iris flower, hints of oyster shell and a distant scent of black truffle, all very focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, fresh and demonstrating notable depth. There remains a patina of oak to be subsumed (75% new with 3% in amphora) with flecks of dark chocolate emerging toward the composed finish. This is one Pomerol that will benefit from some bottle-aging, and I notice more pixelation emerging with time in bottle—a classically styled La Conseillante. 13.3% alcohol" 11/23

95 Points, Georgina Hindle, Decanter: "Iris and raspberry notes on the nose, delicately floral but fresh and lively - just shy of mouthwatering acidity - but enough to create such a lift on the first taste which has a juicy effect. The acidity is nicely balanced but this has such a gentle charm, a suaveness and sensuality to it, tannins are sleek and agile with some bitter dark chocolate and slate edges while the fruit is full of black cherry, plum and blueberry touches. But it’s the texture and the aromatic display that are so captivating - having density and weight but no heaviness. You get the ripeness in the flavour but the overall feeling remains cool and refreshing with tension and terroir on show in the wet stone nuance underpinning the fruit. Just pure grace and precision. An exceptional effort for the estate's 150th vintage. 'The worst thing on the label is the vintage' says general director Marielle Cazeaux "because people think it’s bad, but this is really the DNA of La Conseillante". 3.6pH. Merlot picked from 28th September to 1st October, Cabernet Franc on the 6th and 12th October." 03/22