Château La Conseillante 2023 — Professional Reviews & Ratings
Overall critical consensus
The 2023 La Conseillante is widely described as one of the standout wines of Pomerol and one of the elite wines of the Bordeaux 2023 vintage. Critics consistently emphasize its floral aromatic profile, silky tannins, precision, and balance, combining richness with freshness and a long aging trajectory.
It is broadly characterized as a finessed, perfumed, and highly polished Right Bank wine rather than a powerful or heavy expression.
Major critic scores
- William Kelley (Wine Advocate): 98–100 points
Described as one of the great wines of the vintage, with a layered core of pure fruit, sweet tannins, and a long, precise finish.
- Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): 97 points
Notes “beautiful punch of floral aromatics,” textured fruit, and a wine that stands among the most successful in Pomerol.
- Decanter: 98 points
Highlights vibrancy, black fruit intensity, refined tannins, and a mineral-driven, harmonious finish.
- Falstaff: 95 points
Praises elegance, freshness, integrated tannins, and good ageing potential with a long, harmonious structure.
- James Suckling: 97–98 points
Emphasizes precision, violets, blackcurrant, cedar-like lift, and excellent balance.
- Vinous (Antonio Galloni): 95–97 points
Focuses on silky texture, floral aromatics, and exceptional harmony and class.
- Jeb Dunnuck: 95–97 points
Describes a classic, elegant La Conseillante with refined tannins and a long finish, needing short-term cellaring.
Common tasting descriptors across critics
Across multiple professional reviews, recurring notes include:
- Violet, lilac, rose petals, candied florals
- Black cherry, blackberry, cassis
- Subtle spice, cocoa, tobacco leaf
- Silky, “cashmere-like” tannins
- Medium to full body with lifted freshness
- Mineral-driven, long, precise finish
Overall professional takeaway
- Score range: ~95 to 100 potential points
- Style: refined, aromatic, elegant Pomerol with silky structure
- Structure: very high finesse, not heavy or extracted
- Cellaring window: commonly estimated 2030–2045+, with strong aging potential
- Vintage standing: consistently ranked among the top Pomerol wines of 2023
Wine Advocate: 98-100 points
“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. (WK)” (4/2024)
The Wine Independent: 97-99 points
“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 La Conseillante pounces from the glass with playful scents of Morello cherries, wild blueberries, and juicy plums leading to fragrant suggestions of violets, dark chocolate, rosebud tea, and star anise. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully elegant and graceful, with super-sleek kitten-soft tannins and spectacular tension that delivers an electric feel, although the finish purrs. 85% of this year's crop went in to the First Wine, a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc with pH 3.68. (LPB)” (5/2024)
Decanter: 98 points
“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. (GH)” (4/2024)
James Suckling: 97-98 points
“Wow. What beauty, elegance and length in this young wine, with medium body and vivid, bright acidity that gives energy and greater length. The tannins are extremely fine-grained, with an endless, silky texture. Another al-dente wine with brilliance. Goes on for minutes. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc.” (4/2024)
Vinous: 96-98 points
“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. (NM)” (4/2024)
