Chateau La Conseillante, Pomerol 2012

An absolutely amazing wine from the Nicolas family, this is from another estate in Pomerol that is pushing the envelope to higher and higher quality. The final blend has moved to smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc, now approximately 20%, with the balance 80% Merlot. Through crop-thinning, yields have been reduced to an average of 35 hectoliters per hectare. Inky bluish/purple color and stunning sweet tannins embrace a full-bodied opulent Pomerol with beautiful, floral-infused black raspberry, blueberry and cassis fruit. Full-bodied, yet elegant, this is a brilliant marriage between finesse and power. Stunningly pure, this wine can be drunk young or age magnificently for 20 or more years.

The 2012 La Conseillante takes some time to settle in the glass, gaining harmony after 10 minutes with scents of red cherry, sandalwood, freshly rolled tobacco and clove. This comes across as showier, more extravagant than other 2012 Pomerols. The palate is medium-bodied with silky smooth tannins, harmonious and poised, spicy and perhaps with a little more edge towards the finish. There is a sense of confidence about this La Conseillante. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

A pretty, open-knit wine, the 2012 La Conseillante is quite expressive today. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, new leather, cedar and cloves flesh out in the glass. Supple, racy and inviting, the 2012 is an attractive, mid-weight Conseillante built on harmony and textural finesse. There is plenty to like, although I would have liked to see a bit more depth through the mid-palate and follow through to the finish. The 2012 is 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc, which is to say more Merlot and less Franc than is the norm, aged in 70% new oak. Winemaker Jean-Michel Laporte, who has since been replaced by Marielle Cazaux (formerly at Petit-Village) characterized 2012 as a year with high disease pressure and alternating periods of sunshine and rain that made finding the right time to work in the vineyards a challenge. The 2012s came in around 14% alcohol, whereas alcohols were closer to 13.5% in 2014.

(89% merlot and 11% cabernet franc): Medium-deep purple-ruby. Pungent minerality lifts subtle, very pure aromas of red fruits, violet, wet stone, ink and cinnamon. Dense, vibrant, sharply delineated flavors of blackcurrant, raspberry, sweet spices and cocoa powder make for a memorable experience. Subtle violet and flint notes lift and extend the very long, minerally, suavely tannic finish. There's insidious sweetness and purity to this almost Burgundian Pomerol; all the elements are in place to make for a remarkable La Conseillante. In my notebook, this is one of the top half-dozen wines of the vintage.