Marielle Cazaux’s Decade at Château La Conseillante
a conversation with Marielle Cazaux, Managing Director for La Conseillante
by Marla Norman & Michel Thibault
We met Marielle over a decade ago, when she first arrived at Château La Conseillante in 2015. To see how the property has evolved under her leadership and management has been extraordinary. To date, four of her vintages have received 100-pt ratings: 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2022. Bravo, Marielle!
Even now, there still aren’t many women in top positions in Bordeaux’s wine production. Is the job of winemaker more difficult for a woman, because of the added pressures to succeed?
I never really asked myself that question. However, I do know that when I first started, it was tough for women and the ones in the business had to work harder, longer hours and show more competency to prove they belonged. I did notice that once that approval test had been completed with satisfaction, then it was easier to find one’s place. In relation to 10 years ago, I believe that the doors to management are now as open to women as they are to men.
Michel with Marielle Cazaux when she first arrived at Château La Conseillante in 2015.
For young people trying to get into this field is there a well established path or is it a struggle to try to find a way ?
I recommend a school for Agronomy Engineers or a BTS (a certification that requires two years of study and an exam) and an oenology diploma. Afterwards, it is all about work, work, work. Commit yourself fully. Don’t worry about how many hours you have to work and your efforts will pay off.
Is there anyone in the industry who was particularly inspiring to you?
When I was at Ridge Vineyard I worked with Paul Draper, someone who was so inspiring in his knowledge of wine, but he had a very human side as well. People who inspire me have knowledge, but at the same time they are big hearted and willing to share their skills.
What do you consider your greatest success so far?
Firstly, I think it’s having a really great team. You build a team over time, and people leave or they go into retirement, so you have to find more people to fill the spaces and they have to fit. There has to be the same mood and ambition in the team. They have to fit so you can continue to build the team you want. The other great success was from the past vintage in 2016. We had our first 100-points at La Conseillante! There again, it’s not an individual success, but a team success.
Other than a superior terroir that you share with the likes of Pétrus, Vieux Château Certan and other top Pomerol wineries, what makes the difference for La Conseillante?
Olivier de Serres (French soil scientist) describes terroir as the interaction between soil, climate and man. In Pomerol, climate and soil make up 90% of the greatness of the wines. The rest is all about how much care you give to your property. Our entire family and team tend to their land like diamonds in a jewelry box. The results are obvious.
Marielle Cazaux in the vineyards at Château La Conseillante. Photo by Marla Norman
When we visit La Conseillante, we’re impressed by how new things seem to be, whether the building or the equipment. Are there any more plans for growth and improvement in that respect?
We replaced the vat room in 2012, but if you notice other wineries around us, such as L’Évangile, Pétrus, Petit-Village, Clinet, Beauregard, Le Pin, everyone has been busy! We’ve also added a new temperature system for the barrel room and installed a program to regulate the humidity. These are must jobs, since the thick walls that make up the cellar rooms are no longer sufficient to handle our summers which are becoming increasingly warmer.
More recently, we’ve begun using electrodes, planted into the vine, to measure electric flows. We have a form of artificial intelligence that transforms the data into information that tells us if the plant is being attacked by mildew or if it is in hydric stress; it can even tell us if the grapes are mature. We tested the tool to see if, when the plant was telling us that it was in hydric stress, the results correlated with those of our traditional tools. We were astonished to find that it was completely accurate. It can also measure the berry sugar accumulation just by using these electric flows. Really mind-blowing!
What about in the vineyards themselves. Didn’t you recently plant a few plots of Cabernet Sauvignon? How’s that progressing?
There were actually Cabernet Sauvignon plots from 1900 to 1960. They were abandoned after the big frost in 1956. But now, with climate change we feel that this varietal will do well, so we’ve replanted and the vines are doing well. We’re planning to reintroduce Cabernet Sauvignon into the blend in 2026. It will be the pepper in the sauce!
What is your favorite vintage for La Conseillante?
That’s always a difficult question. But for awhile now, my favorite wine has been the 2005. It has a very interesting level of maturity, delicate aromas and an amazing mouthfeel. It’s a very emotive wine, with its many flavours, its complexity, its smoothness, its length, its finesse. I also tasted the 1985 vintage in large format, and I believe it may belong to the group of mythical wines produced at this estate.
I would also add that if you have only one bottle of special wine, whether it’s La Conseillante or not, it’s best to taste it with just one or two persons so that you can both really get the most out of it. For example, if you have a party of six, it might be frustrating because you won’t be able to sort out the different aromas with just one glass.
Michel & Marla with Marielle Cazaux at the cellars of Château La Conseillante.
We’ve definitely loved sharing glasses of wine with Marielle over the years. Cheers to her and Château La Conseillante.
