Château La Conseillante 2003

The 2003 vintage in Pomerol

Vintage benchmark: 87/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: The heatwave pushed the merlots into overripeness: rich, jammy wines, fresher on the clays of Pomerol.

Overall reading of the year’s season across Pomerol. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.

Tasting

The nose is spicy and violet, typical, with notes of filled biscuit. On the palate, the tannins are tasty and already integrated, giving way to aromas of ripe fruit. In summary, this is a delicious wine.

Blend of the 2003 vintage

Figures from the 2003 sheet

• 13 % vol.Alcohol
• 30 yrsVine age
• 50,000 bottlesProduction

Winemaking

At La Conseillante, plot management is respected at each stage of winemaking. The vats of varying capacities allow the harvest from the various plots to be vinified separately. After vatting, cold pre-fermentation maceration aims in particular to best preserve the freshness, aromatic characters and color of the vintage.

Ageing

18 months in oak barrels (50 to 75% new)

Terroir

The pattern of plots making up the property's 12 hectares, unchanged since 1871, allows La Conseillante to maintain its exceptional character. An average density of six thousand vines per hectare, constant attention and care adapted to the cultivation of the vine — the only guarantees of impeccable vine health — are a reminder that without quality fruit, wine is nothing. The terroir is composed of 60% grey clay and 40% sandy gravel, resting on red clay (crasse de fer).