With the son of the Nicolas family, Valmy, taking over and ratcheting up the selection process as well as the quality, La Conseillante appears poised to challenge its closest neighbor, l'Evangile, as the finest estate on the border of the sector of Pomerol facing Cheval Blanc in St.-Emilion. The 2005 will challenge the extraordinary 2000. Among the truly fabulous wines made here (i.e., 2000, 1990, 1989, 1985, and 1982), its deep ruby/purple hue is accompanied by an exquisite bouquet of incense, raspberry jam, kirsch, licorice, and hints of black olives as well as flowers. This broadly perfumed Pomerol exhibits sensational purity, sweet tannin, medium to full body, and outstanding elegance and finesse. The fruit is forward and precocious, but there is enough stuffing, structure, and density for the wine to evolve for 20-25 years.