Today we take a walk over to Bordeaux's Right Bank. Whilst the Left Bank has historically enjoyed more attention no thanks to the historic 1855 Classification, the Right Bank whilst alittle more mysterious and less conspicuous, have over the years done the remarkable work of not only producing great wines, but also creating a serious cult following for itself. Today we take a look at one such Pomerol legend - meet Chateau La Conseillante.

The story starts 300 years ago with one Catherine Conseillan, a prominent Libourne merchant who acquired the estate and named it after herself. Nicknamed the "Iron Lady", she acquired additional land that bought the estate to 23 hectares in 1741. While less than 2 hectares were initially under vine, by 1754 she had joined her neighbors in the then-occuring viticultural revolution like her neighbours Vieux Château, making La Conseillante one of the first winegrowers in Pomerol. Today, the vineyard has expanded to its current 12 hectares. Remarkably, the vineyard's layout and patchwork of plots have remained unchanged for five generations.

The La Conseillante estate in Pomerol.

The estate would pass through several hands after Madame Conseillan. First she would will the estate to her favorite niece, Marie Despujol. Subsequently, La Conseillante would come into the possession of Jean Louis Joachim Paul Princeteau, son of Libourne négociant Pierre Princeteau and grandson of St. Vincent de Paul mayor Charles Princeteau - a high profile family of the region. The Princeteau-Leperche family would own La Conseillante for several decades, though details of their activities remain scarce.

Ultimately it was the acquisition of La Conseillante by the Nicolas family in 1871 marked a turning point in its history - even till this day the estate remains in the hands of the 5th-generation of the Nicolas family. Brothers Louis and Nicolas Nicolas (yes, that's double 'Nicolas' for you), founders of the highly esteemed wine merchant house Nicolas Frères, became the estate's new owners. Upon their deaths a few years later, Louis Nicolas's eldest son, (also) Louis Nicolas, assumed management of the property.

Louis was quite the entrepreneur, effectively revitalising La Conseillante both technically and commercially. He implemented innovations like vineyard drainage, and navigated the house through the challenge of the great Bordeaux phylloxera epidemic.

He also took the liberty to expand his wine merchant business into markets like Russia, and co-founded (and became the first president of) the Syndicat Viticole de Pomerol (Association of Pomerol winemakers) in 1900.  Louis also designed La Conseillante's distinctive label, featuring a silver-framed "N" (for Nicolas) and a violet capsule. The deep violet colour that has now come to be associated with the estate was chosen to embody the vibrant and rich colours of the wines produced, and to also highlight the signature aromas of violets in its perfume.

In 1921, Henri and Louis represented the third generation of the Nicolas family at La Conseillante. A decade later in 1953, La Conseillante's operational structure was changed to allow for two General Managers. This allowed two members of the Nicolas family to jointly manage the estate. The Héritiers Nicolas company was soon founded thereafter on April 20, 1960. In 1971, cousins Francis and Bernard Nicolas assumed joint ownership of La Conseillante, in a sense re-uniting the "Louis" and "Henri" branches of the family. Under their watch, they constructed new cellars as well as enhanced the precision of the winemaking process. It was under their leadership that La Conseillante began to achieve proper global recognition.

Bertrand (left) and Jean-Valmy (right), with winemaker Marielle Cazaux.

The latest generation of Nicolas' to run the show is Bertrand and Jean-Valmy Nicolas, representing the fifth generation since 2003. Notably in 2012, they built a vat room that enabled plot-by-plot vinifications. 

Today, La Conseillante's 13-hectare vineyard sits on a plateau in eastern Pomerol, bordering the St-Emilion appellation and prestigious estates like L'Evangile, Petit-Village, Vieux Château-Certan, and Cheval Blanc. In the vineyards are 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, which has been moving in the direction of achieving 25-30% Cabernet Franc. A very small parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon has been planted as well. Much of the vineyard work has been shifted towards organic practices, and the entire vineyard itself is uniquely planted as a single block of vines, which are then separated into 18 different parcels. The terroir of the estate is largely gray clay and red clay with iron deposits that contain gravel and sand, with also some significant deposits of blue clay as well - 30% of the estate is actually located in St. Emilion on the side closest to the famed Chateau Cheval Blanc, where it features more gravel and sand and so houses most of the Cabernet Franc, whilst the Merlot sits on more clay heavy soils. The vineyard is planted to 7,000 vines per hectare, which has reflected a steady increase in density.

Chateau La Conseillante.

In the cellars, a combination of concrete tanks and vats, as well as temperature controlled stainless steel vats are used for vinification. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tanks, with the wines aged in 80-100% new French oak for about 18 months. Gradually, ever since the 2010 vintage, the amount of new oak used has been reduced to 70%. Very interestingly, some of the young Merlot vines are aged in amphora as well! Shortly after malolactic fermentation, the wines are blended and allowed to harmonise for an extended period of time before bottling.

With all that said, let's get to trying it!

Chateau La Conseillante 2011 – Review

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Intensely expressive from the first swirl. A strikingly generous fruit concentration that fills the nose; ripe red fruits—raspberries, plums, hawthorn and mulberries—layered with touch of orange blossom, maybe a slight jamminess, though it never feels overripe or pushed too far. As it opens up there’s deeper, more aromatic grounded elements black truffle shavings, dark espresso, and a touch of damp earth – it’s distinctly Pomerol. Very remarkable layers too with each note seamlessly opening into the next.

Taste: The first sip confirms what the nose suggests (this isn’t always the case for wines as you know), immense concentration and still, lovely refinement. Full bodied, utterly seamless, it coats the palate with lush, opulent fruits, black plums, cassis, and prunes dominate the mid-palate and unfold beautifully. Tannins present really well here, they saturate the mouth to add a satisfying weight but still very fine-grained and velvety in texture. A delicate touch of crushed violets and subtle oak spices.

Finish: Shifts towards a dryer, more mineral register. Some dry chalkiness lingers on the edge of the palate. Earthy cocoa powder and graphite linger for a bit, drawn out on the finish.

My Thoughts

 This is a wine with superb class and depth worthy of the Pomerol appellation. It captures everything that makes this appellation so revered – fine grained tannins, silky textures, generous fruits and great balance. There’s a weightiness here, but never at the cost of elegance or precision. While the wine already displays a level of polish and integration that suggests great maturity, the freshness of the fruit and vibrancy of its tannins ensure that it still retains a youthful, energetic core. And while its plush fruit and velvet tannins are unmistakably Pomerol, the way the finish lingers—so long and mineral-laced, slightly austere—almost evokes the sensibility of a Burgundy.

*Suspiciously racoon-like noises*

Contributed by @Definitelynotthreeracoons