Chateau Le Conseiller Bordeaux Superieur, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Le Conseiller Bordeaux Superieur, with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, the history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Le Conseiller is one of the best examples of how good low priced, value Bordeaux wine can be. Jean Philippe Janoueix is making some of the best Bordeaux Superieur wine in Bordeaux today.

Jean Philippe Janoueix also manages La Croix St. Georges in Pomerol, La Confession in St. Emilion and two other Bordeaux Superieur estates, Chateau Croix Mouton and 20 Mille. Chateau Le Conseiller made its debut for the young Jean Philippe Janoueix with the 2002 vintage,

Chateau Le Conseiller Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 27-hectare vineyard of Le Conseiller is planted to 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard has a terroir of clay and limestone soils. On average, the vines are maintained at an impressive, 40 years of age.

For a Bordeaux value wine, Jean Philippe Janoueix does a lot of work to make sure this is the best wine possible from Le Conseiller. To produce the wine Chateau Le Conseiller, the grapes are whole berry fermented a mixture of concrete tanks and stainless steel vats.

During fermentation at Le Conseiller, they pump over 3 times a day. Malolactic fermentation takes place in 50% new, French oak barrels. The wine Chateau Le Conseiller is then aged in 50% new, French oak barrels and new American oak barrels for 9 months prior to the bottling.

Interestingly, Le Conseiller is one of the few Right Bank Bordeaux that import American oak barrels. At Chateau Le Conseiller, for the barrels, Janoueix uses 50% traditional shaped oak barrels and the remaining barrels are the cigar-shaped barrels that Janoueix likes.

These expensive oak barrels are in use at his top Right Bank estates in Saint Emilion, Chateau La Confession, and in Pomerol at Chateau La Croix St. Georges. Even though there is Cabernet Franc in the vineyards, the wine is often produced using 100% Merlot.

The best vintages of Chateau La Conseiller are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2005.

All this effort and expense is clearly seen in the quality of the wine. If you’re seeking a well-priced, tasty, Bordeaux Superieur Bordeaux value wine that drinks well on release, this is a great choice. It is not a wine for aging. Chateau Le Conseiller is best enjoyed within a few years of release.

When to Drink Chateau Le Conseiller, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Le Conseiller is much better with at least 1-3 years of aging in good vintages. Young vintages can be decanted for up to 1 hour.

This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau Le Conseiller offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 2-6 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Le Conseiller with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Le Conseiller is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Le Conseiller is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Le Conseiller is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.