EP23 Release: La Conseillante 2023 "One of the great wines of the vintage" WA 98-100pts

One of the most beguiling wines of 2023 is released today, the magical La Conseillante is offered at GBP 1788 per 12 IB.

The charming and brilliant Marielle Cazaux has woven her magic threads again to produce the most ethereal wine of 2023. Hand-sorting, pre-fermentation cold maceration, parcel by parcel vinification, manual pump-overs are all the tricks to create a perfumed masterpiece of classical proportions.

“One of the great wines of the vintage, and one that can rival its 2022 counterpart” WK

“The striking purity, elegance, and textures, silky tannins, and length leave quite an impression.” JL

2023 La Conseillante performs a dance of multiple harmonies on many levels that harmonise in a finish of stunning purity – this is a fabulous La Conseillante that we can’t recommend highly enough.

“wonderfully elegant and graceful, with super-sleek kitten-soft tannins and spectacular tension that delivers an electric feel” LPB

“Wow. What beauty, elegance and length in this young wine” JS

“This is an exceptional La Conseillante from Marielle Cazaux and her team. It will rank alongside the 2022” NM

Add La Conseillante 2023 to my cellar

2023 La Conseillante

98-100 WK The Wine Advocate “One of the great wines of the vintage, and one that can rival its 2022 counterpart, the 2023 La Conseillante wafts from the glass with a strikingly floral bouquet of violets, lilac, raspberries, exotic spices, candied orange, pipe tobacco and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, its textural attack segues into a layered and enveloping core of pure, vibrant fruit framed by sweet tannins and concluding with a long, precise finish. It's a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, some 30% of which is maturing in amphorae. Harvest began on September 7, lasting until October 2, block by block.”

97-99 JL The Wine Cellar Insider “Violets, black raspberries, spice, chocolate, truffle, and black cherries begin the perfume. The palate is where the wine shines, with its vibrant display of black with red fruits. The striking purity, elegance, and textures, silky tannins, and length leave quite an impression. The adage, "Patience is a virtue" is the key the success this year, as they needed to wait for the desired level of phenolic maturity. The wine blends 88% Merlot with 12% Cabernet Franc. 7.5% press wine. 14% ABV, 3.68 pH. The harvest took place September 7 - October 2. Drink from 2029-2060.”

97-99 LPB The Wine Independent “Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 La Conseillante pounces from the glass with playful scents of Morello cherries, wild blueberries, and juicy plums leading to fragrant suggestions of violets, dark chocolate, rosebud tea, and star anise. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully elegant and graceful, with super-sleek kitten-soft tannins and spectacular tension that delivers an electric feel, although the finish purrs. 85% of this year's crop went in to the First Wine, a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc with pH 3.68.”

98 GH Decanter “A clear stand out in 2023. Dark chocolate, bitter toast, blackcurrant, deep, dark and rich tones on the nose. This has both a vibrancy and a richness, a sense of Pomerol opulence, and a coolness on the nose. Supple and energetic, this has movement and weight, juicy with a touch of creaminess. Smooth and sophisticated but still with a hit of acidity on the back palate that lifts and raises the expression the whole way through. Great stuff, sleek, mineral - very saline with licks of wet stone, graphite and liquorice giving slightly bitter edges, but I love the construction. Serious but also fun. Sleek, not rich and fleshy at all, but there’s a thick silkiness to it, nothing harsh, nothing austere or too tart. Really excellent, sweet strawberry, crunchy cranberry and powdery strawberry - lots of brightness and powderiness so you get texture and tension. Another stellar wine from La Conseillante. Buzzy and tangy, maintaining flavour and focus also with great drinkability on offer. A vintage to age. 7.5% press wine.”

97-98 JS James Suckling “Wow. What beauty, elegance and length in this young wine, with medium body and vivid, bright acidity that gives energy and greater length. The tannins are extremely fine-grained, with an endless, silky texture. Another al-dente wine with brilliance. Goes on for minutes. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc.”

96-98 NM Vinous “The 2023 La Conseillante was picked from September 7, with the final Cabernet Franc brought in on October 2 at 43hL/ha. There were just six days of picking over 3.5 weeks. Matured in 70% new oak, it has a very well-defined bouquet with black cherries, wild strawberries, touches of violet and a hint of crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with a captivating, edgy opening. Just slightly granular in texture thanks to the tannin structure, it’s very harmonious and poised, with a sophisticated, mineral-driven finish. This is an exceptional La Conseillante from Marielle Cazaux and her team. It will rank alongside the 2022 even if it is very different stylistically.”

97 JA Inside Bordeaux “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.”

95-97 AG Vinous “The 2023 La Conseillante is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Medium in body and silky, with exceptional balance, the 2023 impresses from start to finish. Crushed flowers, lavender, spice, mocha and tobacco are some of the many nuances that emerge over time. More than anything else, the 2023 impresses with its balance and total class. It's a wine that marries the elegance of La Conseillante with a bit more mid-palate resonance and sustain through the finish than some recent vintages. Yields were 43 hectoliters per hectare. Élevage consists of 70% new oak, 27% used barrels and 3% amphora. Tasted two times.”

95-97 JD Jeb Dunnuck “From yields of 43 hectoliters per hectare, the 2023 Château La Conseillante checks in as a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 70% new French oak, with 3% in amphora. This deep purple-hued beauty offers up a classic Conseillante nose of red and blue fruits, spring flowers, violets, and spice box, and it's such a great example of the complexity and elegance this estate delivers today. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and elegant, it has plenty of tannins, integrated acidity, and a gorgeous finish. This utterly classic, floral Conseillante will need 5-7 years to hit maturity and have 30 years of longevity. The 2023 hit 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.68.”