1973 Château La Conseillante - Pomerol
They say it’s hard for a producer to put into the bottle what nature hasn’t provided, so a closer look of the growing season gives you a good idea of what to expect. 1973 had a very cold spring, with mostly cold and wet summer to follow. Late September was a bit better with some dry and warm periods, but overall not nearly enough to save the vintage. The 1973 La Conseillante looked very tired: light amber colored with an orange hue. The first aroma’s was so much young, freshly tanned leather it took me back to visiting a leather shop in the Turkish Riviera. After a couple minutes, when the leathery smell had diminished a bit, the underlying aromas were unexpectedly young. Still nice fruit noticeable, red cherries and berries mostly, with some sweet spices and a delicate touch of wood too. The taste was another pleasant surprise: here too, not a tired worn out wine as could be expected, but a medium bodied and supple wine. With its adequate complexity and again that enjoyable sweetness making it a more than lovely glass of wine.
The 1973 La Conseillante may be well past its peak but still quite youthful and savory which proves that winegrowers who had the means and knowledge were able to still make decent wine in a year where nature did everything to prevent it.
