Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 91 / 100 byIan D'Agatathe8/31/2014 Good bright ruby. Deep, flinty aromas of blackberry, blueberry syrup, dark plum, violet and minerals. Lush, silky and sweet, with insidious vinosity keeping the lush blueberry and dark plum flavors fresh and delineated. Extremely suave wine with very refined tannins that spread out to cover the entire palate. Finishes very pure and very long, with crystalline lingering mineral and violet perfume. La Conseillante is always a sure bet but this topnotch effort in a difficult vintage like 2011 really deserves a round of applause. (91(+?) points)
Wine Advocate 92 / 100 byRobert Parkerthe5/2/2014 The quintessential elegant style of Pomerol, the 2011 La Conseillante offers copious aromas of raspberries, mulberries and spring flowers. Medium-bodied with pure fruit, seamlessly integrated tannin, acidity and wood, and a soft, velvety textured finish, this classic effort is ethereal in its elegance and precision. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.
Jamessuckling.com 93 / 100 byJames Sucklingthe2/19/2014 This has evolved beautifully. The nose shows black truffles, berries and chocolate character. This is full-bodied, with very firm but polished tannins and a long, focused finish. Needs three to four years to soften, but a pretty, balanced wine for the vintage.
Wine Spectator 92 / 100 byJames Molesworththe2/11/2014 Frankly toasted, with a warm ganache coating over the core of steeped plum and raspberry fruit, which lends a slightly showy and muscular feel for now. Alluring spice, incense and black tea notes flitter through the finish, hinting at a suave, alluring element that should develop in the cellar. Best from 2016 through 2025.
La Revue du Vin de France 16-16,5 / 20 the5/31/2012 La Conseillante ne ménage pas ses efforts en s'adjoignant les conseils de Jean-Claude Berrouet (en sus de Gilles Paquet). La construction d'un nouveau chai est en bonne voie, les nouvelles installations devant être prêtes pour la vendange 2012. 80% bois neuf, 81% de grand vin, 82% merlot... Où s'arrête cette suite arithmétique.
Le Point 16,5 / 20 byJacques Dupontthe5/17/2012 Fruits noirs, épices, poivre, bouche vive, tendre, frais, élégant, tendu, friand, joli fruit, petits tanins croquants, serré en finale. O= 2017 G= 15 ans
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90-93 / 100 byIan D'Agatathe5/12/2012 Deep ruby. Explosively aromatic nose combines blackcurrant, black cherry, candied violet and cocoa, complicated by minerals and dried herbs. Juicy, vinous and penetrating, with noteworthy energy to the sharply delineated flavors of cassis, sweet spices, pepper and fresh herbs. This very classy, perfumed winefinishes with a firm tannic spine and excellent length. An outstanding effort in 2011.
Wine Advocate 88-91 / 100 byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2012 Made in the elegant, finesse-filled Bordeaux style, the 2011 La Conseillante displays a deep ruby/purple color along with hints of acacia blossoms intermixed with sweet cherry and mulberry fruit backed up by subtle toasty oak. Attractive on the attack and medium-bodied with good acidity, the 2011 is not a blockbuster such as we saw in 2009 and 2010, but it may resemble the estate’s top-flight 1981 (a so-so year in which La Conseillante produced a delicious wine). It will provide early drinking and should last for 10-12 years.
TAST 17-18 / 20 by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2012 83% merlot, 18% cabernet franc et 80% de bois neuf. Onctueux et velouté, très fruité et floral avec une acidité allègre qui sous-tend en permanence le vin et lui apporte un grand dynamise de constitution. Notes d'amandes fraîches en finale.
Decanter.com 17 / 20 the4/30/2012 Gentle extraction (advised by new consultant, ex-JP Moueix winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet). Accent on the fruit. Less volume than 2009 and 2010 but good length and balance. Drink 2018-2030.
The Wine Cellar Insider 93-94 / 100 byJeff Levethe4/27/2012 From 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc, the wine will be aged in 80% new oak. The wine reached 13.4% alcohol. Flowers, truffle, black raspberry, coffee, spice and earthy scents create a complex perfume. Pure silk and velvet with ample freshness, acidity and chalky tannins, this is a classic vintage for La Conseillante. 93-94 Pts
Wine Advocate 94-96 / 100 byNeal Martinthe4/27/2012 The La Conseillante is a blend of 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc. It has a very well defined bouquet with attractive dark berry and mulberry aromas, the terroir really coming through with subtle notes of black truffle. The palate is medium-bodied and I think Jean-Michel has really achieved very the filigree tannins this year, rendering this the most feminine La Conseillante I have tasted. It is silky smooth and yet there is certainly a tensile structure that should see it age nicely over 15-20 years. It is very composed, almost understated towards the finish, but this shows great persistency in the mouth without being overpowering. A “controlled” La Conseillante” with just a elegant, beautiful finish. Tasted April 2012
Jancis Robinson 17 / 20 byJulia Harding MWthe4/23/2012 Drink 2017-2029Deep black cherry. Aromatic, ripe fruit with a leaning toward cough linctus. Lovely freshness on the palate, juicy and fresh and lively and leaves your mouth revitalised. One of the most attractive Pomerols I've tasted so far in this vintage. Tannins well judged. (JH)
Asian Palate 92-93 / 100 byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe4/20/2012 Tasted twice, both times the wine showed very well. The tannins of La Conseillante this year are plush, full, very dense and ripe. This layered wine with 82% Merlot displays plums, blackberries and black Chinese red dates on the palate. It has a very long finish and plush tannins. Classic La Conseillante - sophisticated and classy.
Wine Spectator 90-93 / 100 byJames Molesworththe4/10/2012 Shows the elegant, caressing fruit of the vintage, with supple cassis, blackberry and cherry compote notes, while harnessing the lively acidity and burying it nicely in toast- and black tea-infused wood. Features a classy, silky finish.—J.M.
Wine Enthusiast 88-90 / 100 byRoger Vossthe4/6/2012 uicy and fruity, this wine shows attractive black currant flavors, rounded with the tannins already well integrated. —R.V
Jamessuckling.com 91-92 / 100 byJames Sucklingthe4/1/2012 Pretty blueberry and chocolate character. Medium to full body, with fine tannins and a chocolate, spice and almond. Delicate style. 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.