Chateau la Conseillante 2021

WEINWISSER: "Der 2021er ist der 150. Jahrgang der Familie Nicolas auf La Conseillante. Dunkle, viskose Farbe. Dunkelbeerig und fleischig duftet er superfrisch mit typischer Conseillante-Fruchtkomponente und viel Blaubeeren, Veilchen und Cassis aus dem Glas. Superklassisch, seidig und cremig süß. Im Mund präsentiert er sich sehr saftig und klar, mit enormer Präsenz und drahtiger, frischer Säure, die beeindruckend dezent im Hintergrund die Fäden zieht. Grandioser, finessenreicher Pomerol, superfein und konzentriert, dennoch wirkt er engelsleicht und duftig. Seine Balance und feine Nervigkeit mit likörigem, frischem Nachhall sind entwaffnend. Ewig lang, mit seidigen Gerbstoffen. Die ganz leichte Härte im Rückaroma wird sich noch glätten."

JAMES SUCKLING: "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."

DECANTER: "Gorgeous fragrance, very floral and almost evocative in terms of perfume, flowers, spices and dark blue fruits with hints of liquorice. Bright and shiny, but so calm and controlled. A tiny bit grippy from the grainy tannins and oak, a touch tight, but there’s such purity and gently expansive fruit - you can feel the concentration - no green elements, nothing harsh here. Pure and fine, really not a light wine but not heavy either. Crunchy, juicy, not fleshy but there’s texture here enough to give a wide mouthfeel and not feel too lean. Fun and fruity with refinement too so you're getting the Conseillante DNA. I love it, not trying too hard. You're not getting plush power but this is wonderful to open and enjoy."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "One of the few wines showing better in the bottle than it did from the barrel kicks off with a gorgeous display of flowers, plums, cherries, incense, black raspberries. mint, and truffles in the perfume. The medium-bodied palate is focused on its elegant, vibrant, sensuous, silky character, which is the perfect backdrop for its display of sweet, cherries, kirsch, plums, chocolate, mint, and espresso. The harvest finished October 10, making this the latest vintage in the history of the estate. The wine blends 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2025-2055."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 La Conseillante unwinds in the glass with aromas of black raspberries and mulberries mingled with vine smoke, rose petals and spices, framed by a discreet touch of new oak. This is medium to full-bodied, suave and enveloping, with a velvety attack that segues into a layered, multidimensional palate that's framed by ultra-refined tannins and animated by ripe acids. Long and perfumed, this has turned out beautifully. It was bottled in June, seeing three rackings and a very light egg-white fining during élevage."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2021 Château La Conseillante checks in as 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc and is a deep purple/ruby-hued effort with vivid redcurrant and plum fruit as well as some sappy tobacco, graphite, and floral notes. These carry to a medium-bodied, fine, finesse-driven Conseillante that has supple, ripe tannins, a bright spine of acidity, and outstanding length. This classic, pretty, incredibly elegant 2021 will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve gracefully through 2046."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Verschlossen zu Beginn, dunkelbeerig, etwas Grüntee, aber auch kräuterwürzig, Tannenschössling. Im Mund mit mürbem, reifem Gerbstoff hoher Qualität, gute Homogenität, alles ist gut integriert, von frischer, adretter Frucht begleitet, der Weichteil ist sehr gut in den Stoff integriert. Ein Wein im Stil des Châteaus bei mittelgroßer Länge und aromatischer Tiefe."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "2021 is the 150th anniversary of La Conseillante. This vintage was harvested between the 28th of September and the 12th of October and is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. It has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and it leaps from the glass with notes of wild blueberries, raspberry coulis, and kirsch, leading to nuances of red roses, clove oil, underbrush, and charcoal, plus a touch of wild thyme. The light to medium-bodied palate is satiny, smooth and refreshing, delivering vivacious red and blue fruit layers, with a long finish and suggestions of fragrant earth."