Château LA CONSEILLANTE 2023

Description

Yves Beck 97-99 points www.yvesbeck.wine

88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc

D’entrée, La Conseillante 2023 communique de manière précise avec un évident style axé sur la fraîcheur et la finesse. Les nuances de pivoine, de garrigues, de cassis et une touche chocolatée créent une harmonie autant subtile que convaincante. L’attaque maintient le cours fixé par le bouquet ; une touche friande ouvre la voie à un vin structuré, de bonne densité, profond, élégant et saillant. Ses tannins se révèlent tardivement et affichent une belle aptitude à créer le lien avec une structure acide incisive, saline et salivante. Un Conseillante qui se profile de manière authentique, mais également unique ! Il m’est difficile de me référer à un autre Conseillante et c’est d’ailleurs très bien ainsi. Le monde du vin n’est pas dans une logique de « copier coller » mais de réflexion et de réactivité. Le seul point de référence est que Conseillante 2023 me fait penser à La Conseillante. Un vin construit sur le détail, de manière presque filigrane, mais tellement pertinente et aboutie avec une puissance parfaitement maîtrisée. Un très grand vin qui brille de sa subtilité, de son caractère étincelant.  2028-2048

Georgina Hindle 98 points  www.decanter.com 
A clear stand out in 2023. Dark chocolate, bitter toast, blackcurrant, deep, dark and rich tones on the nose. This has both a vibrancy and a richness, a sense of Pomerol opulence, and a coolness on the nose. Supple and energetic, this has movement and weight, juicy with a touch of creaminess. Smooth and sophisticated but still with a hit of acidity on the back palate that lifts and raises the expression the whole way through. Great stuff, sleek, mineral – very saline with licks of wet stone, graphite and liquorice giving slightly bitter edges, but I love the construction. Serious but also fun. Sleek, not rich and fleshy at all, but there’s a thick silkiness to it, nothing harsh, nothing austere or too tart. Really excellent, sweet strawberry, crunchy cranberry and powdery strawberry – lots of brightness and powderiness so you get texture and tension. Another stellar wine from La Conseillante. Buzzy and tangy, maintaining flavour and focus also with great drinkability on offer. A vintage to age. 7.5% press wine.

William Kelley 98 -100 points www.erobertparker.com
One of the great wines of the vintage, and one that can rival its 2022 counterpart, the 2023 La Conseillante wafts from the glass with a strikingly floral bouquet of violets, lilac, raspberries, exotic spices, candied orange, pipe tobacco and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, its textural attack segues into a layered and enveloping core of pure, vibrant fruit framed by sweet tannins and concluding with a long, precise finish. It’s a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, some 30% of which is maturing in amphorae. Harvest began on September 7, lasting until October 2, block by block.

Neal Martin 96-98 www.vinous.com
The 2023 La Conseillante was picked from September 7, with the final Cabernet Franc brought in on October 2 at 43hL/ha. There were just six days of picking over 3.5 weeks. Matured in 70% new oak, it has a very well-defined bouquet with black cherries, wild strawberries, touches of violet and a hint of crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with a captivating, edgy opening. Just slightly granular in texture thanks to the tannin structure, it’s very harmonious and poised, with a sophisticated, mineral-driven finish. This is an exceptional La Conseillante from Marielle Cazaux and her team. It will rank alongside the 2022 even if it is very different stylistically.

Antonio Galloni 95-97 www.vinous.com
The 2023 La Conseillante is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Medium in body and silky, with exceptional balance, the 2023 impresses from start to finish. Crushed flowers, lavender, spice, mocha and tobacco are some of the many nuances that emerge over time. More than anything else, the 2023 impresses with its balance and total class. It’s a wine that marries the elegance of La Conseillante with a bit more mid-palate resonance and sustain through the finish than some recent vintages. Yields were 43 hectoliters per hectare. Élevage consists of 70% new oak, 27% used barrels and 3% amphora. Tasted two times.