1988 Château la Conseillante, Pomerol

Elegance, finesse and refinement are words that come to mind to describe this wine that is produced at a property in the east of Pomerol, near Saint Emilion. Château la Conseillante's vineyard is one of the oldest on Pomerol's plateau, taking its name from Catherine Conseillan, who owned the château in the 18th century. Since 1871 it has belonged to the Nicolas family, who have upheld tradition with the passing generations and maintained the wine at a very high level of quality.

The vineyard's 12 hectares consist of two sections with completely different characteristics, which correspond perfectly to the two grape varieties that are used to make the wine: to the north, for the Merlot vines, grey clay lies on a subsoil of red clay, indicating a rich iron content, a characteristic of Petrus' terroir. For the plots to the south of the property, near the Saint Emilion appellation, there is a sandy-gravel subsoil, particularly suited to Cabernet Franc, a variety that does very well at neighbouring Cheval Blanc. Plot by plot management is respected at every stage of the vinification process, under the supervision of the talented Jean-Michel Laporte. The wines are then aged for nearly two years in barrels, 60 to 100% renewed each year, depending on the vintage.