1994 La Conseillante

One of Bordeaux's most compellingly seductive wines, La Conseillante's early charm can lead tasters to believe that the wine will not age. However, top vintages of La Conseillante can age for two decades, but they are often drunk immediately after bottling because of their expressive aromatics, velvety texture, and delicious fruit. Dark ruby/garnet, with a backward, spicy, peppery, black fruit-scented nose (also truffles?), La Conseillante's tell-tale sweet, charming, alluring fruit is pushed to the background by the 1994's tannin and austerity. The wine reveals more weight than the 1993, but also more structure. There is good fruit under the tannin, but the 1994, atypically for La Conseillante, requires another 1-3 years of cellaring; it should keep for 10-12.

One of Bordeaux's most compellingly seductive wines, La Conseillante's early charm can lead tasters to believe that the wine will not age. However, top vintages of La Conseillante can age for two decades, but they are often drunk immediately after bottling because of their expressive aromatics, velvety texture, and delicious fruit. Dark ruby/garnet, with a backward, spicy, peppery, black fruit-scented nose (also truffles?), La Conseillante's tell-tale sweet, charming, alluring fruit is pushed to the background by the 1994's tannin and austerity. The wine reveals more weight than the 1993, but also more structure. There is good fruit under the tannin, but the 1994, atypically for La Conseillante, requires another 1-3 years of cellaring; it should keep for 10-12. Feb 1997, www.robertparker.com