Wine Advisor
L'Evangile 1999
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1999 L-Evangile has always been a difficult Pomerol to pin down. Here, a bottle tasted at Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, is better than previous encounters and more in line with encounters a decade ago. The nose is showing more ripeness and precocity with lifted raspberry and black plum notes infused by cedar and smoke. The palate is medium-bodied with a pleasing sweet, supple entry and crisp acidity. The merlot is very expressive and the tannins that appeared to go through an adolescent -gawky- stage have come through to maturity and underpin a rounded finish that does not have the complexity of a top vintage. It should offer pleasure over the next decade - a serviceable L-Evangile. Tasted November 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of the stars of Pomerol, l'Evangile's 1999 exhibits a dark purple color, copious, thick, blackberry and raspberry aromas, a low acid, medium to full-bodied, symmetrical palate, excellent texture, and abundant quantities of sweet, concentrated black fruits revealing no signs of dilution or diffuseness. This wine will be delicious young because of its precocious personality, but will age for over a decade. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2016.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
First tasted March 2000: dark ruby. Backward nose: tar, raisin. Very complex. Brooding, tannic masculine palate: completely unevolved. Well-balanced. Dense black fruits with a ripe minerally finish. This is a titanic wine that justifies L'Evangile as one of the longest lived Pomerols. Another 10+ yrs. Tasted again in November 2003: a beautiful minerally nose, with tar and cooked meats. Fine definition. The palate has good concentration, well-balanced with a plump mid-palate. Quite backward and broody at the moment with minerally black fruits. This is another long-term wine.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One-hundred percent new oak was employed for this blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. The 1999 l'Evangile is sweet, with low acidity, ripe tannin, and a seamless, hedonistic personality. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by thick, rich, fleshy flavors. This is a candidate to be one of the most precocious l'Evangiles of the last decade. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2016.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the 1999 horizontal at Bordeaux Index. This has evolved an intriguing bouquet: smoky bacon crisps. Very intense, turning to dried herbs – some melted asphalt and singed leather coming through. The palate is medium-bodied, a weird combination of dry tannins but sweet, quite voluptuous fruit and they seem at opposite ends of the spectrum. Lots of tobacco towards the foursquare, rather vegetal finish. Somehow a faulty, yet fascinating L’Evangile! Drink now-2018.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The dark purple-colored 1999 L'Evangile is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. It reveals an unexpected touch of herbaceousness, which cost it a point or two in the ultimate rating. Nevertheless, the striking, evolved, hedonistic perfume of melted licorice intermixed with black raspberries, minerals, and truffles is an intellectual turn-on. This is a beautiful, medium to full-bodied L'Evangile with a sweet attack and mid-palate. It may merit a higher score, depending on its evolution. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2015.
About the Producer
Chateau L'Evangile is one of the most famous châteaux in the Pomerol region of Bordeaux, France. In the mid-18th century, Chateau L'Evangile was owned by the Leglise family of Libourne, and its name, "Fazilleau", was recorded in the 1741 land register. At the beginning of the 19th century, the estate was bought by a lawyer named Isambert and renamed Chateau L'Evangile. Evangile is the French word for "gospel", and the renamed estate lived up to its name, becoming a true "gospel" of the Pomerol region. In 1862, Paul Chaperon acquired Chateau L'Evangile and made it famous through a series of efforts to give it a distinctive Second Empire style of architecture. In the second edition of Cocks Et Feret in 1868, Chateau L'Evangile was listed as a Premier Cru in the Haut-Pomerol region. After Chabron's death, his daughter inherited the estate, which she then brought to her husband's family, the Ducasse family, who ran the estate until 1990. In 1990, the estate was acquired by Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite. Immediately after taking over, the group began a comprehensive reform and upgrading of the estate. The first steps included a more careful selection of the grapes used to make the main wine and the creation of Blason de L'Evangile, Pomerol, France, as a secondary wine. In addition, the renovation measures included a comprehensive reorganization plan: delaying the harvest as much as possible so that the grapes would be as ripe as possible, and controlling yields to a maximum of 4,500 liters per hectare in order to improve the quality of the vines, which was partially completed in 1998. 2004 saw the completion of the renovation of the winery and cellars, and the creation of a new layout for the estate. These vintages produced wines of excellent quality. Chateau L'Evangile is located in a unique location. The vineyard covers 22 hectares of sandy clay and gravel soils with a high iron content subsoil. The vineyard is planted with 80% Merlot and the remaining 20% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard's production is limited, and harvesting and many other tasks are done by hand. The winery employs Michel Rolland, the famous "flying winemaker", as a winemaking consultant. Under the management of the Lafite Group, the grapes from each parcel are divided into different lots in order to determine their potential for full-fledged wines at the final stage of fermentation. All aspects of the winemaking process are closely integrated with traditional techniques and proven modern technologies. During the fermentation process, the winery performs drenching and maceration, during which the wine is tasted several times. After fermentation, the wines are aged in oak barrels for 18 months. Due to the small size of the vineyard, the average annual production of the winery is 5,000 cases. Robert Parker, the famous wine critic, has praised Le Vin de Guignol as the "star of the future" of Pomerol and believes that it has the potential to grow even more under the leadership of Lafite. A book published many years ago, Grands Vins de Bordeaux, described the wines produced by the Rocquières as "full-bodied, elegant, and with unparalleled finesse."
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