France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Chäteau L'Evangile

Chateau L'Evangile Pomerol

Bordeaux

Pomerol

Savoury plum, soft tannins, a touch of chalk, graphite, lovely fragrant florals, and extremely finessed. A wine that will age with grace. In the cellar, this was one of their longest macerations on record, up to 28 days, carefully measured, Harvest 18 September to 2 October, 22hl/h yield. Zero press wine, 45% new oak for ageing, plus 25% in large oak casks, 7% amphora. Juliette Couderc winermaker. Blason de l’Evangile is not being sold En Primeur.

Inside Bordeaux

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2024 l’Evangile leaps with vibrant notes of kirsch and black raspberries with underlying suggestions of wild thyme, lavender, and mossy tree bark. The medium-bodied palate delivers refreshing red berry and savory flavors with a lively line and a pleasant chewiness to the tannins, finishing with a real skip in its step.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

A fascinating exercise in terroir, as this shows the same alcohol as the Blason, but the density, fruit character and even the IPT (tannin) count are very different. You see the impact of clay soils in the building of the powerful architecture and the plush damson and black cherry fruits. There is density but tenderness to the tannins, with grilled caramel that gives a beautiful Pomerol signature. Violet floral edging arrives towards the finish, as things open up, and this is an impressive L'Evangile that can age with ease. 42hl/h yield, a record in recent years here. Certified organic since 2021. Great stuff from technical director Juliette Couderc.

Beautiful depth of flavour through the palate, nuanced blackberry and damson fruits, orange peel, saffron, crayon, cassis, great quality, with flesh through the mid palate, coupled with lift on the finish, impressive. Harvest August 29 to September 14, in organic conversion, Juliette Couderc winemaker, Saskia de Rothschild owner. 28hl/h yield.

A blend of 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, L’Evangile 2021 used less new oak this year, only 50%, with 15% of the wine aging in amphora. It has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and needs a little swirling to bring out notes of black cherries, juicy plums, and raspberry preserves, giving way to nuances of lavender, aniseed, and damp soil, with a touch of iron ore. The medium-bodied palate has a good intensity of vibrant black fruits, with rounded tannins and bags of freshness, finishing earthy.

The 2020 L'Evangile is composed of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed to start, soon emerging with flamboyant scents of kirsch, crushed blueberries, and fresh plums,  giving way to hints of garrigue, star anise, iron ore, roses, and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is lively and vibrant with shiny black berry layers accented by bright mineral and spicy sparks and a velvety texture, finishing long and fragrant. A beautifully poised and fantastically expressive L'Evangile - bravo to Juliette on her first vintage!

The 2019 L'Evangile is composed of 83.5% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it has classic notes of plum preserves, crushed rocks, and tar with nuances of cedar chest, licorice, and espresso. The full-bodied palate is chock full of youthful, energetic black fruits, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and earthy.

L’Evangile 2018 is deep garnet purple in color. It features notes of crushed rocks, pencil shavings, and tree bark, with a core of boysenberries and Morello cherries. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm and grainy, with muscular fruit and great length. 

An impressive wine that is showing the fleshy, concentrated, opulent side of the 2015 vintage, damson and black cherry given a kiss of oyster shell and sea spray salinity on the finish. Liquorice and cocoa bean add to the vintage signature, and this has decades ahead of it. Winemaker Jean-Pascal Vazart, DBR (Lafite) owners, close to 100% new oak for ageing.

Medium to deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 L'Evangile rolls out with expressive notes of baked blackberries, fruitcake, and stewed tea followed by wafts of tobacco and cumin seed. The medium-bodied palate delivers a good core of mature black berry flavors with velvety tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing on a mineral note.

L’Evangile 2013 has a medium garnet color, with a touch of brick. Notes of dried figs, prunes, and leather lead to hints of dusty soil, dried herbs, and tobacco. The medium-bodied palate is chewy and refreshing, with very subtle fruit and a firm, somewhat rustic finish. Drink up!

This has velvety tannins that you can practically stroke in the glass. They remain firm, adding width and depth through the mid palate, beautifully muscular plum, blackberry and raspberry fruits. Will soften further over next five years but has life and character. 31hl/h yield.

Reserved aromatics at first, slowly uncurling to creme de cassis, orange peel, cherry pit, cassis, incense, intense and smoky, full of character, still very young. Muscular with a ton of life ahead of it, poised and pulled together with creamy tannins and crushed rose petals on the finish.

Smoky, grilled black cherry, enticing and confident, with ripened blackberry and raspberry fruits, pomegranate, cherry pit, white peach, sage and fennel, wrapped up in waves of smoked earth and cocoa bean. An exuberant vintage of L'Evangile, deceptively open, but will continue to age.

My notes while drinking this say 'almost impossible not to gulp down', which is surely a positive quality for a wine of the year. Packed with intense, sun-ripened black cherry and damson fruit, all edged with smoked caramel and saffron. A great vintage to be trying in Pomerol right now, as many Pauillacs remain fairly closed even at 16 years old, but the Merlots of Pomerol are more willing to show off. Owned by the Rothschild family since 1990 in partership, and as sole owners since 1998, Jean-Pascal Vazart technical director. Located on gravel soils over heavy clay on the border with St Emilion, aged in 70% new oak.

Dette er til å bli blank i øynene av! Ikke så mørk tettpakket i fruktbildet som Pomerol fort kan være. Rik på mørk og rød frukt, ellers flotte utviklede aromaer av pipetobakk, lær, trøffel, treverk og underskog. Uhyre kompleks. I munnen oppfører vinen seg som en velspilt symfoni. Dette handler ikke om kraft og tyngde, men om eleganse, finesse og stil. Mange har tidligere kommentert at det er en «burgundsk» Bordeaux, og det er eksakt det den føles som. En virkelig nydelig Pomerol! 

WSET 2

Tobacco, roses, soot, gentle raspberry fruit, beautifully stretched out through the palate, this is a charming wine, although lacks the depth and nuance of the other L'Evangiles we tried in this lineup. Madame Ducasse in charge at this point, barrel ageing but no new oak.

Det er få ting her i verden jeg synes er verre på smak enn korka L’Evangile Pomerol. Av og til må man se kelneren i hvitøyet, og si «nei, dette var ikke godt nok» - etterfulgt av hysterisk gråt. Dette skjedde med meg og fruen forleden. Kork-smaken blandet seg med dype druer og humoristiske tanniner som jeg ikke å klarer å beskrive med et annet ord enn … rotgrønnsaker?

Magisk opplevelse alt i alt. Følg for mer tips. 🍇🥂🍷

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Chäteau L'Evangile
Vintages	2024
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pomerol
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	%
Acid	%
Sugar	g/l

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