The 2019 La Conseillante is performing brilliantly and rivals the 2016 as Marielle Cazaux's finest vintage at this leading Pomerol estate to date. Wafting from the glass with striking aromas of raspberries, plums, violets, raw cocoa, sweet soil tones and licorice, framed by a deftly integrated touch of classy new oak, it's full-bodied, ample and enveloping, its broad attack segueing into a seamless, layered mid-palate that's vibrant and concentrated, framed by powdery tannins and lively acids, before concluding with a long, saline finish.
Under the direction of Marielle Cazaux, La Conseillante continues to go from strength to strength, as exemplified by the estate's brilliant 2019 vintage. The estate's parcels are harvested into 15-kilogram crates, spend the night in a cold room and are sorted the next day, before being vinified, parcel by parcel, with pump-overs by hand. Percentages of new oak have diminished: from 80% between 2011-2014, to only 70% from 2015 onward; but, more importantly, the selection of barrels has changed, too, favoring lighter toasts—and cooler temperatures in the chai help, too. Contemporary La Conseillante is an immensely sensual, seamless wine, exhibiting striking perfume and purity of fruit; and it's a strong candidate for the title of Pomerol's most elegant—and dare I say it, Burgundian—wine.
