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1000th Review -- Chateau La Conseillante Pomerol 1996Oct 24 '02 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Medium bodied, complex, multi-tiered ...but a tad smoky and perfumed. Not my style of wine, but good. Château La Conseillante, Pomerol, 1996 Mises en Bouteilles au Chateau I first became interested in this wine after reading ermitano's review: http://www.epinions.com/content_2838929540 Noel's review is an excellent resource for those interested in some details about Château La Conseillante and the terroir of France's Pomerol. La Conseillante is a small winery in France's Pomerol with 29-acres of vines and producing only about 5,500 cases of wine per year. I served this wine at 64-68ºF, and found that it opened up nicely after a little breathing time and the slight bit of warming that the wine experienced. Alcohol: 12.9% by volume. Production: A red blend: 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec. Appearance: Saturated ruby color with only a suggestion of lavender at the rim. Aroma: Black cherry and blackberry fruit, backed by a floral and perfumed rose petal, a resinous cedar, and a smoky, iodined, dried oak. Flavor: A slightly spicy cherry with very good dark fruit expression (plum, blackberry), though a bit overly smoke-infused for my tastes. Complex flavors carried by a lot of interesting woody tones. Medium bodied, not overpowering, and, in some ways, a little supple and elegant. Low to moderate acidity, velvety mouthfeel, supple. Long, lingering multi-tiered finish with concentrated cherry flavor, a trace of oak vanillin and licorice, and some tannic astringency but not grippy. Price and Availability: Hard to find. I purchased a couple bottles of this wine at The Wine Exchange, in Orange, California, for $79.99 (plus tax). http://www.winex.com/ The Wine Exchange is a great wine buying resource. They have special tastings events just about every week. Don't come wearing perfume, cologne or hair dressings; you will be booted out of the tasting room. The wine buyers here are serious. Imported by the Wine Warehouse, Commerce, California. I have been able to locate other resources, where this wine is featured at $1,200 per case (12 bottles). Recommendations: I enjoyed this wine after my lunch of slow-cooked Parmesan chicken. More experienced and professional writers suggest that this wine should cellar for another 10 years. An alternative Pomerol wine that may be of interest would be the 1996 Vieux Château Certan -- $89.99 at Hi Times Cellars in Costa Mesa, California. Verdict: 4¾ stars. Appearance: 5/5 Aroma: 23/25 Flavor: 38/40 Body: 9/10 Overall Quality: 18/20 ------------------------------ My Score: 93 -- 4¾ stars. Look also for the 1995 Château La Conseillante Pomerol (Wine Spectator rated 94), available for $10 more per bottle at The Wine Exchange. Or: the highly regarded 1998 Château La Conseillante Pomerol (13.2% ABV) -- I found it at Hi Times Cellars for $89.99; at The Wine Exchange it sells for $99.99, if my memory serves me correctly. Would I buy the more of the Château La Conseillante Pomerol 1996? Hmmm... probably not. Too expensive. I have never been a huge fan of French wine and although I make an effort from time to time to try them, I am very partial to the wines of California -- price, taste, availability and purchase convenience being major considerations. I am more apt to try California reds. My favorites this year, so far, have been: the '99 Burgess Cellars Merlot from Napa Valley (about $24), a '00 LinCourt Vineyards Syrah from Santa Barbara County (about $20; I really like this one), a '99 Rodney Strong Merlot from Sonoma County (about $15), or a '99 Murphy-Goode Merlot from Sonoma's Alexander Valley (about $22). Cheers!  |
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