The market in many ways passed over the 2011 after the fanfare of 2009 and 2010, but in fact there are plenty of excellent wines from a year that was very dry from April to September with some rains during harvest, making the harvest date critical. There are dry tannins that threaten the mid-palate, but it opens up extremely prettily to reveal dark, fleshy fruits - a classically balanced, very enjoyable wine. It has great aromatics after five minutes in the glass, linear and stretched out.

The quintessential elegant style of Pomerol, the 2011 La Conseillante offers copious aromas of raspberries, mulberries and spring flowers. Medium-bodied with pure fruit, seamlessly integrated tannin, acidity and wood, and a soft, velvety textured finish, this classic effort is ethereal in its elegance and precision. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.