L'Evangile 1996

The 1996 l'Evangile will undoubtedly be a controversial wine. The wine gives the impression of being over-extracted in its dark ruby/purple color and notes of prunes, raisins, Chinese black tea, blackberries, and cherry liqueur. It is rich and powerful, as well as tannic and disjointed, but medium to full-bodied, with excellent richness, and a long, over-ripe finish. It may take a few years to round into shape, but this could turn out to be an outstanding wine. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2016.

The dense ruby/purple color is followed by an emerging, exotic nose of prunes, black raspberries, earth, and truffles. The wine is backward, yet dense and powerful. This is an overripe style of L'Evangile with high tannin, prune-like notes to the black raspberry fruitiness, and plenty of weight and muscle. Although I find it slightly disjointed, I am optimistic that this wine will continue to come together, as it has evolved nicely over the last 7-8 months.