Castle La Conseillante - Pomerol 2013

Wine Advocate

89 / 100

byNeal Martinthe10/28/2016

The 2013 La Conseillante definitely has one of the better Pomerol aromatic profiles with light, clean and fresh black cherry and cranberry scents, a touch of potpourri developing behind. The palate is medium-bodied with bitter cherry and cranberry notes, the oak jutting out a little at present and drying the finish. Austere for the normally more succulent and fleshier La Conseillante, hopefully it will coalesce with 3 or 4 years in bottle.

Wine Spectator

90 / 100

the5/31/2016

Jamessuckling.com

94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2016

Bright and vivid with green olive, berry and plum character. Hints of wet earth. Full body, yet tight and reserved. Ultra-fine tannins. Excellent wine for the vintage. Better in 2019.

Wine Advocate

89-91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/29/2014

The grand vin, the 2013 La Conseillante, is a delicious, supple wine displaying notes of violets, incense, licorice, black cherries and raspberries. Well-made and medium-bodied, but neither as deep nor concentrated as the 2009 and 2010, its soft, seductive style argue well for drinking over the next decade.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

88-91 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe5/16/2014

(82% merlot and 18% cabernet franc): Bright ruby. Knockout aromas of dark cherry, raspberry and violet, complicated by graphite and coffee. Clean, fresh and very pure, offering dark berry and flinty flavors of above-average precision. Finishes with suave, rising tannins. The house signature of refinement and purity of fruit enables me to recognize this wine blind almost every time in a battery of Pomerol wines. A lighter-style La Conseillante, it's nonetheless one of my favorites of the vintage.

timatkin.com

92 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe5/7/2014

This is a less structured effort than Jean-Michel Laporte’s 2011 and less charming than the 2012, but it’s still an attractive Pomerol made in an attractive, immediately appealing style with supple berry fruit, medium weight tannins and bright minerality.

matthewjukes.com

18 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/23/2014

(82 Merlot, 18 Cabernet Franc) 65% new oak. This is a wine which made a profound impact on me. The nose is terrific – abundant black fruit and no trace of macho oak and this leads to stunningly textured wine with incredible purity and life. The trick here was a gentle and not overly extractive cold, pre-fermentation maceration. It was the second vintage in their new cellar and the DG feels that this has made all of the difference. Having the ability to utilise a true, small batch winemaking facility in a difficult vintage like this separates the men from the boys! I was transfixed by the utterly brilliant balance. The whole wine left a gentle, spicy wake. Apparently the obsession at La Conseillante is ‘smooth fruit and no aggression’. They nailed it in 2013.

Vinous

90-93 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe4/18/2014

A generous, resonant wine, the 2013 La Conseillante is impressive. Dark red cherry, plum, spice and menthol notes flesh out in a rich, inviting wine for the year. A long, persistent finish rounds things out in style. This is about as polished and finessed as things get in 2013. The only thing missing is the structure of a more important vintage. By any measure, the 2013 Conseillante is a tremendous achievement. The blend is 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot was picked between September 27 and October 5, while the Cabernet Franc was picked from October 5 to 7. Tasted twice.

Decanter.com

17 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/15/2014

Classic blend of 82% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc. Attractive blueberry aromatics. Lively, fresh and clean. Fruit on the finish. Lots of charm.

My Bettane + Desseauve

17 / 20

the4/15/2014

Fraîcheur, netteté, subtilité des arômes, grain du tannin, tout ici excelle dans les limites d’un très petit manque de corps.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/15/2014

The Conseillante is a blend of 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc picked between 25 September and finishing with the latter on 7 October, cropped at 30hl/ha. The wine is being raised in 65% new barrels. There is something "tranquil" about the aromatics of the La Conseillante. Fresh strawberry and violet scents gently waft from the glass: nothing powerful but very pure, the oak seeming to be nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. This is quite a taut and linear La Conseillante with fresh acidity, more masculine than recent vintages and perhaps edging towards a more classic style. It gently builds in the mouth and leaves just a hint of iodine on the finish. This is a fine, precise La Conseillante for mid-term drinking.

Jamessuckling.com

90-91 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/8/2014

This is lively and refined with a blueberry and cherry character. Medium body with fine tannins and a tangy finish. Bright and lively. Salty. Savory. 87% merlot and 13% cabernet franc.

René Gabriel

17 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/4/2014

Dunkles Granat, recht satt in der Mitte, rubiner Rand. Herrlich würziges Cassisbouquet, Minztöne, Rosmarin und feine Eucalyptusnuancen. Im Gaumen stoffig, schöne Konzentration auf der Zunge zeigend, gewisse Adstringenz im Untergrund erste Röstnoten, nachhaltiges Finale.