Château L'Evangile Pomerol 2016

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A measured wine that retains balanced fruit and superbly creamy density from start to finish. Hints of violets add to the fresh, lively finish. Drink between 2021 and 2037

About the domain :

Facing Cheval Blanc on Pomerol's mythical plateau, L'Évangile has a solid reputation: its 19 hectares are planted on deep gravel soils mixed with clay and sand. Owner Baron Éric de Rothschild has equipped his Pomerol cru with technical facilities commensurate with the château's potential and reputation. In particular, small vats make it easier to monitor the harvest and refine the blends. The plan to restore the vineyard, involving the uprooting and replanting of vines, is continuing. It will take at least ten years for this cru to express its full potential. L'Évangile seduces with its great sap, its generous truffle bouquet, its velvety texture of great refinement, with an elegant dimension without overpowering. This Pomerol tenor has taken a qualitative step forward since 2004, and has enjoyed a string of superb vintages since 2009. More supple, the second wine le-blason gives access to the pleasure of Pomerol, without breaking the bank. 2018 promises to be exceptional!

Decanter

About the wine:

For me, this wine will be just as great as the 1989, and is a worthy successor to the 2015. It's tight and reserved on the nose, with powerful Pomerol Merlot in the background. On the palate, raspberries and blackberries have a creamy edge. Power and intensity promise an incredible future. The texture is smooth and silky, showing great freshness balanced by ripe fruit and seductive tannins. A serious wine. Tasting period: 2024 - 2040

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

Great sensuality emanates from this deep garnet-red Pomerol, whose bouquet evokes very ripe red and black fruits, as well as spices. The grain of the tannins is so silky and the freshness so relevant that an impression of suavity prevails on the palate. Yet the substance is dense and full-bodied, powerful even on the finish, structured to stand the test of time.

About the domain :

Originally named Fazilleau in the mid-18th century, the vineyard was renamed L'Évangile in the early 19th century. At that time, it covered 13 hectares, close to its current size (15 hectares). The first turning point in its history came during the Second Empire, when it was bought by Paul Chaperon, who had the château built and helped rapidly establish its reputation by exploiting the qualities of a terroir both strongly typified and well-balanced, with very pure clays, sands and gravels, on a subsoil rich in iron dross. L'Évangile was sold to the Rothschilds in 1990, the second major turning point for this cru, which then benefited from major investments and the skills of its director Charles Chevallier, who handed over to Éric Kohler in 2015.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Evangile 2016 sports a deep garnet-purple color and opens with notes of plum jam, Black Forest, red cherry compote and raspberry with hints of menthol, chocolate box, licorice and tobacco leaf. Medium- to full-bodied, the palate has incredibly ripe, velvety tannins and lovely freshness, enhancing the generous, brilliantly fruity mid-palate. Lots of energy on the long, mineral finish.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

Ideally situated between Pétrus and Cheval Blanc, L'Évangile, which is majority-owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), has undergone a thorough restructuring and reorganization of the vineyard in recent years, including the acquisition of new plots. The results of the hard work carried out by Jean-Pascal Vazart and his team are perceptible in the quality of the wines, and the latest vintages produced place the cru at the highest level of the appellation. 2018, such a demanding year from a cultural point of view, marks the transition of the vineyard to organic management.

Wine Enthusiast

James Suckling

About the wine:

So great on the nose with gorgeous fresh flowers like violets, black olive and black berry aromas. Archetypal Pomerol nose. Full-bodied, but at the same time, so refined and structured. Magnificent tannic tension and concentration. Vibrant finish. Shows energy and concentration. To be tried after 2024.

Jeb Dunnuck

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is fruity, elegant and racy, with lovely definition and fine grain. Fleshy blackberry and blackcurrant notes are combined with hints of fleshy raspberry, blue berries, ripe/crushed redcurrants, as well as fine touches of racy minerality, toastiness/caramelization and discreet hints of tonka bean and coffee (in the background). The palate is fruity, well-balanced, beautifully elegant, velvety, greedy, very discreetly tight, with lovely grain, depth, definition, airiness, finesse and tension. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of fleshy blackberry, fleshy blueberry/blueberry and, more lightly, strawberry, combined with fine touches of crushed raspberry, racy minerality, as well as hints of chocolate, toast/caramelization, subtle hints of spice and very discreet hints of almond. The tannins are elegant and very finely mellow. Good length. Good persistence with hints of chocolate. A wine to keep!

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

Spicy, floral aromas emerge first, followed by notes of mocha, truffle and juicy plums. Full-bodied with velvety-textured tannins, everything is perfect. The wine has layers of depth, waves of silky, pure, opulent fruit and a finish that stands out, thanks to all the decadent fruit. The wine is fresh, elegant, long and incredibly rich, as well as tannic. Give it 12 years in the cellar before opening.