Tasting Notes
Antonio Galloni 97+
The 2023 La Conseillante is very clearly one of the standouts of the year. Plush contours wrap around a core of blueberry fruit as lavender, cloves, chocolate and licorice weave across the palate. The purity here is just remarkable, especially in the bouquet. Seamless in the glass, the 2023 impresses with its understated intensity and svelte personality. It is one of the most outstanding wines of the year. An archetype. In short, the 2023 is très Conseillante. If anything, I may be underestimating it. Tasted two times.
Anticipated maturity: 2033-2063
Neal Martin 96
The 2023 La Conseillante had been bottled in May. This certainly benefitted from a few minutes’ aeration, gaining clarity with blackberry, blueberry, dried, wilted flowers and touches of crushed stone, the 12% Cabernet Franc imparting light pepperiness. The palate is medium-bodied and perhaps demonstrates a little more backbone than out of barrel. Firm grip, a touch of chalkiness in texture toward the finish, with a very long finish. This delivers.
Anticipated maturity: 2028-2042
Wine Advocate 98-100
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.
