2016 La Conseillante, Pomerol

The 2016 La Conseillante is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc aged in 70% new and 30% one-year-old French oak for 17 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it slips provocatively out of the glass with a lifted perfume of roses, candied violets and lavender over a core of warm red and black plums, chocolate box, unsmoked cigars and baked cherries with wafts of wild thyme and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate exudes polish and sophistication with bags of fragrance, freshness and energy, sporting exquisitely fine-grained tannins and finishing very long and minerally. Around 3,808 cases produced. (LPB) 98+

The 2016 La Conseillante is a brilliant wine from the team led by Technical Director Marielle Cazaud. Polished and sophisticated, the 2016 possesses stunning vertical lift, with soaring aromatics that make a strong first impression. Silky and seductive on the palate, the 2016 is all about precision and energy in the early going. It is also one of the most quite, soft-spoken Pomerols of the vintage. Hints of blackberry, lavender, licorice and spice add nuance, but in 2016 La Conseillante stands out for its sublime balance and total sense of harmony. The 2016 spent 17 months in oak, 70% new. As gorgeous as the 2016 is, my impression is that the best is yet to come. Since arriving at La Conseillante, Cazaud has changed much in the farming of the property, including introducing cover crops and limiting yields. She also now works with no sulfites in winemaking and opts for lower temperatures in fermentation. In other words, the full results of all of that work is yet to be seen. For now, though, the 2016 Conseillante is a pretty special wine. Don't miss it. (AG)