Château La Conseillante: Louis Nicolas
At some point during the ensuing years the property came into the hands of Jean Louis Joachim Paul Princeteau (born 1811). He was the son of Pierre Princeteau, a négociant based in Libourne, and the grandson of Charles Princeteau, mayor of St Vincent de Paul, which sits on the left bank of the Dordogne a few kilometres downstream of Libourne. Princeteau married Aminthe Leperche (hence he is also referred to in some texts as Princeteau-Leperche) in 1837 and they had two children, a daughter named Thérèse (born 1839) and a son named Charles Pierre (born 1843). Charles Pierre, better known as René Princeteau, was an accomplished painter and one of the first to teach Toulouse-Lautrec (whose family were local, and had owned Château Siran, of course).
Princeteau-Leperche’s tenure of La Conseillante lasted several decades at least, although little is known of his time here. His time came to an end in 1871, when the estate was sold to Louis Nicolas. It is from this point that we may trace a direct line through to the owners of today.
The Nicolas Era
With the acquisition by Louis Nicolas there began a remarkable era at Château La Conseillante, one that has seen the same family hold sway here for five generations, and for more than 140 years. Visiting the château during the primeurs in 2011 this was, as I mentioned in my introduction to this profile, being celebrated in great style. The older vintages on show – of which the 1945 (pictured on the final page of this profile) was the real treat – were resting on crisp white table cloths, and carefully poured by the white-gloved hands of the sommeliers in assistance. The glistening stainless steel fermentation tanks were draped in sashes of a deep violet hue, a colour now firmly associated with the domaine.
