Wine Advisor
L'Evangile 2001
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Dark ruby-red. Deep, inviting aromas of sappy berry liqueur and truffle. Lush, silky and sweet, with expressive flavors of blackberry, currant, truffle and chocolate nicely framed by harmonious acidity. The most classically Pomerol of these three vintages, but also has solid underlying structure. The broad tannins spread out to coat the palate on the suave, subtly gripping finish.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Medium ruby color. Perfumed aromas of black cherry, raspberry, cocoa, licorice and smoke. Moderately dense and rather austere for this wine (despite a pH of 3.88), with black cherry and chocolate flavors. A serious wine, with good volume and a subtle, persistent finish featuring very fine tannins.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A ripe nose of black cherries, raspberry sorbet and a touch of white pepper, with good lift and harmony. The palate is medium-bodied, very harmonious with a beautiful texture. Cherry, mocha, redcurrant and a touch of sandalwood. Sophisticated and refined. Superb. Tasted October 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A blend of 79% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc, L'Evangile's 2001 exhibits a saturated purple color as well as a sweet nose of Chinese black tea intermixed with licorice, incense, black raspberry ice cream, and creme de cassis. Medium to full-bodied, with low acidity, silky tannins, and a plump, opulent texture, the wine appears to be adding both weight and nuances. This a beauty, although it will always be overshadowed by the mammoth 2000. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2018.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A masculine nose of blackberry leaf, smoke and cigar box. Broody and reticent at the moment. The palate has superb concentration but not blowsy like some of the Saint Emilion wines over the road. Blueberry, cassis and violets. Very supple with great acidity and harmony. More approachable than L'Eglise-Clinet, though this will still need a decades-worth of cellaring. Tasted November 2005.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Dynasty restaurant in Hong Kong. Served from a magnum, the 2001 l’Evangile is a beautiful wine. It has a sensual bouquet with black fruits, black truffle, a fleeting glimpse of an exotic scent such as almond and coconut that is soon replaced by earthier aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine balance, supple and succulent in the mouth with a smooth, velvety texture, the opulent finish belying the structure underneath. The finish is decorated with black truffle and a touch of liquorice, although I would have liked a little more length here. Tasted November 2011.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A rich, saturated ruby/purple color is accompanied by sweet, perfumed notes of mocha, black raspberries, and cassis. As the wine is swirled, licorice aromas also emerge. A blend of 79% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc, this deep ruby/purple-colored 2001 reveals a fine texture as well as a seductive personality. Its low acidity and sweet tannin ensure that it will be enjoyable young, yet it possesses the depth and concentration to evolve for 15-18 years. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2017.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
While not up to the quality level of the stratospheric 2000, the deep ruby/purple-colored 2001 l’Evangile is a beauty. Revealing notes of beef blood, black fruits, and white flowers, it is medium-bodied and lush with sweet tannin, a pliant, opulent texture, and a long, rich finish revealing hints of forest floor, truffles, and licorice. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2017.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Extremely aromatic and complex with fresh mushroom, orange peel, violets and crushed stone. Full body with a tight and chewy center palate. Walnut, chocolate and berry undertones. An energy and focus to this. Turns a little firm at the finish but very exciting underlining how the 2001 vintage was excellent for Pomerol. Just coming around now.
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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