96

Antonio Galloni

Vinous

The 2020 Conseillante offers up gorgeous scents of mocha, cinnamon, lavender and dried herbs. This year’s blend is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, with the Franc very much in evidence, especially in the wine’s aromatic presence. The 2020 is a very restrained, buttoned up Pomerol, less exuberant than some recent vintages, but super-finessed, pretty much as it was en primeur. It will be interesting to see where this goes. There’s potential for sure, how much is less obvious. The 2020 is very pure but also lithe in feel. It was aged for 16 months in a combination of 70% new oak, 27% one-used barrels and 3% amphora. 12/2022

97

Neal Martin

Vinous

The 2020 La Conseillante was bottled in the beginning of June. This takes time to unfurl in the glass, blackberry and iris, touches of black truffle and cigar humidor, all beautifully defined. The Cabernet Franc, despite constituting a minor part of the blend plays a major role in the aromatics, lending a touch of black pepper. The palate is medium-bodied with a saline entry, here, the Merlot taking over the steering wheel, fresh and saline, a discreet touch of white pepper mixed with sage and a hint of graphite. Quite persistent in the mouth yet I feel this might close up for a time in bottle. It's quite a serious wine, less flamboyant than the previous vintage, one for hardcore Pomerol aficionados. This is a La Conseillante for long-term ageing. Superb. 12/2022

100

William Kelley

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate

One of the wines of the vintage is the 2020 La Conseillante, a blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc that wafts from the glass with inviting aromas of raspberries, red cherries and mulberries mingled with exotic spices, violets and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and vibrant, it's a beautifully elegant, sensual wine with a deep core of fruit framed by powdery tannins, concluding with a long, extravagantly floral finish. This is a Pomerol of striking purity and sophistication. Congratulations to Marielle Cazaux and her team for surpassing even what they achieved in 2016 and 2019 with this brilliant 2020! 04/2023

97

Jean-Marc Quarin

Jean-Marc Quarin

Couleur sombre, intense, pourpre et belle. Nez très aromatique, fin, subtil, au fruité mûr se révélant profond et complexe à l’agitation du verre. Nuances d’encre et de fruits noirs. Bouche tout en minutie tactile, avec ce que ce cru peut donner de grâce et d’expression unique avec en plus cette année une sensation de densité qui étoffe le vin en finale, le pousse, l'étire. Et il s’achève en dansant sur une folle complexité. Minutieux, délicat et dense à la fois, profond, noble, il surprend tant il échappe avec brio aux pièges tendus par cette année climatique. Voilà la plus agréable des nouvelles. En trouvant les clés de ce rendu Marielle Cazaux et Valmy Nicolas deviennent maîtres de ce jardin et placent le cru juste derrière Lafleur et Petrus. Bravo ! Assemblage : 87 % merlot, 13 % cabernet franc. Degré d’alcool : 14°. pH : 3,67. Rendement : 39 hl/ha.

99

James Suckling

James Suckling

So much black truffles here with dried earth, too. Black berries. Crushed stone. Plus violets. Full-bodied. Very plush with velvety tannins. Gentle yet very structured. Succulent. Clear and bright. Superb depth and length. Goes on and on. Thoughtful. Soulful. Try after 2028. 11/2023