Chateau La Conseillante

Château La Conseillante was founded almost 300 years ago. Catherine Conseillan bought the estate in 1735 and gave it the female version of her surname. The winery is situated between the famous Château Cheval Blanc and Château Pétrus in Pomerol. Since 1871, the château has been owned by the Nicolas family and is currently run by the 5th generation.

It was Louis Nicolas, the second generation, who took the winery to the next level. He created several innovations in the cellar and took charge of the vineyards. He also founded the Syndicat Viticole de Pomerol in 1900, a union for vintners from the region. He was also involved in La Conseillante's house style. For example, he designed the coat of arms bearing the 'N' of Nicolas and the silver corners of the label.

The vineyards have a total area of 12 hectares and are located on the Pomerol plateau, part of which spills over into the appellation of Saint-Émilion. The north-eastern part of the vineyard has clay soil and the soil in the south-west is dominated by gravel. Besides merlot, cabernet franc is also planted. The latter is mainly planted on the gravel soils. To increase biodiversity, various plants and crops are planted, such as clover, radish and oats.

In 2012, the cellar was renovated, including the installation of 22 new concrete tanks. This makes it possible to ferment all plots separately, so that the terroir is even better reflected in the wine. Vinification has been supported in recent years by several winemakers and consultants, including Emile Peynaud, Gilles Pauquet and Jean-Claude Berrouet (former Pétrus winemaker). Today, Marielle Cazaux, Michel Rolland and Patrick Argutti are in charge of the wines. They produce two different cuvées: Château la Conseillante and Duo de la Conseillante. After fermentation, the wines are aged for 18 to 20 months in barriques of 70% new wood. A small proportion is also aged in amphoras. The wines are complex with a fine structure and plenty of length.

Conseillante has a long track record of great wines, such as the 1928, 1929, 1947, 1953 and the 1961. La Conseillante's best recent vintages are: 2005, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020.