Chateau la Conseillante, Pomerol, 2007 SO021726 Furst and the Vieilles Vignes designation

and the Vieilles Vignes designation here signals old vines — greater concentration and complexity than the estate's younger-vine bottlings

Roumier’s touch here is classic—light on extraction

His plantings lean heavily on Pinot Meunier—over fifty percent—an unusual emphasis that gives his wines distinctive fruit and approachability

followed by three years of finishing in 30-year-old Matusalem oloroso sherry casks (for half the whisky) while the remainder matures in bourbon casks

and alligator—with wild-foraged botanicals including ponderosa pine bark

Chateau la Conseillante, Pomerol, 2007 SO021726 Furst and the Vieilles Vignes designationLa Conseillante is Pomerol's elegance specialist the floral, lifted, perfumed counterpoint to the appellation's more massive offerings, with neighbors that include Cheval Blanc and L'vangile. The Nicolas family has owned it since 1871, making this one of Pomerol's longest continuous tenures. 2007 was a difficult Bordeaux vintage overall, but Pomerol fared best of the Right Bank that year and La Conseillante, with its rigorous selection and inherent