2020 Château la Conseillante, Pomerol, Bordeaux

Merlot 87%, Cabernet Franc 13%

This year marks the 150^th anniversary of the Nicolas family’s ownership here. Three percent of the wine will be aged in amphora. Four of the 13 plots were fermented by the vinification intégrale method (whole-berry fermentation in a rotatable oak barrel). The results give a bouquet that is a pillow of fruit, wafting yet encompassing. The palate is lush and powerful, with less sense of graphite than last year. The wine ends with a hint of soy or black-bean sauce, an umami sensation to add to its exoticism. Less chiselled than 2019, it’s superb.

Drink 2028-2050