1998 Château La Conseillante

The 1998 La Conseillante is a wine that I had not encountered since 2010. This is certainly more vigorous than the previous three vintages: raspberry and crushed strawberry fruit, hints of mocha and leather, and a sprig of wild heather in the background all with fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with taut tannin and a superb line of acidity that maintains the vigor of this Pomerol. It feels tensile and alive; a blend of red and black fruit mixed with black truffle, clove and sage, leading to a sustained finish that fans out with confidence. At twenty years old the 1998 La Conseillante continues to state its claim as the best wine of that decade. Tasted at La Conseillante vertical at the property.

First bottle : Pretty dark crimson with already-pale rim. Looks as though there is considerable evolution. Sweet and delicate and very antiquated. Some dusty liquorice. Not without charm but it tasted so old ! Drying finish. Must be a bad bottle, we agree. Jean-Michel says he tasted this recently and it was much, much better. I scored this bottle 15, to drink between 1996 and 2004. Second bottle : Dark crimson. Fresh, subtle nose. A little fresher than the first bottle. Though not the most charming. Not lifted or exciting. A bit dry on the end. Sweet but drying finish. Some beetroot. (JR)

Very dark vibrant crimson. Rich, concentrated, pungent – a big step up from run-of-the-mill Pomerol. This has tension and terroir! Good tight bundle of potential. But a slightly false note of almost vanilla-like sweetness on the palate. (JR)