| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
This Chateau is situated in a prime position on the Pomerol plateau between Petrus, La Conseillante and Cheval Blanc. The wines here are always smooth and seductive and are made by the team from Chateau Lafite. 20% of the production goes into a second label - Blason de l'Evangile.
The 2016 L’Evangile has a sumptuous, generous bouquet of copious wild strawberry and cranberry aromas laced with veins of blue fruit. The oak here is neatly integrated, and this l’Evangile is perhaps a little more open at this stage than other vintages I have tasted. The palate is silky-smooth on the entry, very harmonious and certainly fresh and tensile, displaying a fine bead of acidity. It perhaps does not quite deliver the riveting complexity of some of its peers toward the finish, where it needs more body and persistence, but otherwise this is a very finely crafted L’Evangile that should age well over the next 20 or 30 years. Drink 2023-2043
So ethereal and great on the nose with glorious fresh flowers, such as violets, together with black olives. Dark berries, too. But the archetypal Pomerol nose. Full-bodied yet, at the same time, so refined and structured. Glorious tannin tension and focus. Vibrant finish. Shows energy and focus. Try after 2024.
L'Evangile 2016 is deep garnet in color. The nose is seriously closed at first, eventually opening to show notes of prunes, blackberry preserves, and Christmas cake, followed by hints of licorice, menthol, sauteed herbs, and tapenade. Full-bodied, the palate is taut and muscular, featuring firm, chewy tannins and balancing freshness, finishing on an earthy note.
This absolutely stands up to be counted amongst the greatest of the Pomerols this year. It has shots of minerality and elegance darting right through its autumnal fruits, and touches of sexy, bitter chocolate. Persistent, rich and succulent. 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc.
Drinking Window 2026 - 2050
Extremely deep colour. Very intense, concentrated wine. Sweet start. Very muscular. Almost like cassis cordial! Massive 14.5% alcohol. Exotic and distinctive. Big and muscular. Brooding. Savoury. 14.5%
Drink 2030-2050
This Chateau is situated in a prime position on the Pomerol plateau between Petrus, La Conseillante and Cheval Blanc. The wines here are always smooth and seductive and are made by the team from Chateau Lafite. 20% of the production goes into a second label - Blason de l'Evangile. Picket between 26th September and 10th October, this year's blend is 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Deep colour with toasty wood smoke and coffee on the nose to support opulent cherry and cassis fruit. The palate is refined, supple and voluptuous with silky tannins and fleshy fruit. Velveteen structure supports generous cinnamon and vanilla flacours from the oak, turning more roasted and spicy through to the finish. A big, impressive style which manages great precision despite its hedonistic fruit.
Sumptuous rich fruit the nose has a powerful mix of black fruits the palate sweet with ripe fruit creamy and supple. The tannins are discreet enclosed in the fruit there is enough freshness to balance and give a lighter more elegant feel to the finish.
The balance of this wine was hard to get right, according to Jean-Pascal Vazart, but it doesn’t show on the nose or the palate. Using half of the normal percentage of Cabernet Franc, it’s a fine, sculpted, elegantly poised wine with a winning combination of texture, ripe fruit and balancing acidity. 2026-36
The 2016 L'Evangile is a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc; the latter suffered more stress than the Merlot this year, especially the younger three and ten-year-old plantings. It was picked from 26 September until 10 October, which is earlier than many other Right Bank properties. It has a clean and precise bouquet with mineral-infused black fruit, more "distant" than the 2015 last year. With time, that small proportion of Cabernet Franc becomes more evident. The palate is medium-bodied with firm and grainy tannin. This is very structured as this Pomerol is wont to be, a gentle grip in the mouth, touches of tar and tobacco towards the finish that needs a little more flesh. I feel that this will develop during its élevage. This is excellent, although I do miss the contribution of the Cabernet Franc.
Drink Date 2022 - 2045
This is a remake of the great 2015 but it’s much finer and more sophisticated. Such great quality and very sexy. Full body and ultra-polished and clean tannins. Salty, dark fruit. Superb length. Want to drink it!
The 2016 L'Evangile is made from 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet France. It has a deep garnet-purple color and opens with notions of plum preserves, Black Forest cake, red cherry compote and black raspberries with touches of menthol, chocolate box, licorice and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features fantastically ripe, velvety tannins and beautiful freshness, lifting the generous, brightly fruited mid-palate and giving bags of energy to the very long-lingering, minerally finish.
Drink Date
2021 - 2047
“We had a little mildew at flowering and very small berries this year,” L’Evangile’s Operations Manager, Jean-Pascal Vazart, told me. “It was an easy vintage, but the problem now is that the summers are so dry. Young vines in particular get stressed. Around 13th September we received a little rain, but otherwise there was no rain during the growing season. Thankfully, we had gotten a lot of rain in the winter and spring, so the water tables were full and it got us through the very dry summer.” L’Evangile reported very small yields in 2016, largely due to the small berries and therefore less juice—just 28 hectoliters per hectare. And yet, the quality remains high here for both the grand vin and the second wine, featuring all that beautiful vibrancy and vivacity that are signatures of this vintage.
