La Conseillante
Jean-Valmy Nicolas
Vinecraft is proud to welcome Jean-Valmy Nicolas, manager of the famed Château La Conseillante in Pomerol to our Miami warehouse for a special tasting. Le Conseillante, as it’s commonly called, is well-known as one of the top, if not the top, producers in Pomerol.
The estate was founded in the mid-18th century by Madame Catherine Conseillan. She developed the vineyards starting in 1756, and gave it the name La Conseillante, and constructed the modest two-story Château on the estate. In 1871 Louis Nicolas acquired the vineyards, where it has been passed down through five generations of the family. Confusing and interestingly enough, three of them were all named Louis Nicolas.
The vineyards lie in the top region of Pomerol, near the Saint-Emilion border where Cheval Blanc lies, and surrounded by celebrated estates like Pétrus, and L’Evangile. The single 12-hectare vineyard lies at about 35 meters above sea level, on the highest part of the Pomerol plateau. The vines are densely planted on soils ranging from clay to clay/gravel, over an iron-rich subsoil.
Grapes are hand-picked, then meticulously sorted on Conseillante’s four sorting tables, then after destemming and a 3-5 day cold soak, the juice is fermented in stainless steel vats. Aging is done in 80% new oak barrels. Approximately 5 to 6 thousand cases are made annually.
Le Conseillante is consistently ranked as one of the top estates in Pomerol and Bordeaux, and their wines are known to age and mature gracefully. Vinecraft distributes the wines of La Conseillante in Florida.
