Wine Advisor
L'Evangile 2009
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(95% merlot with 5% cabernet franc; cropped at 39 hectoliters per hectare; 14.5% alcohol, pH 3.72; 80 IPT Deep purple-ruby. Intense aromas of smoky black plum, blackberry liqueur, violets and coffee. Enters very rich and dense, showing an ultra-creamy texture to the highly concentrated flavors of blackberry jam, coffee liqueur and milk chocolate. Lively, balanced acids keep this from going over the top, and extend the flavors on the long, captivating finish. The densest, richest young L'Evangile I can remember though a touch more finesse wouldn't have hurt it any. The property of the Ducasse family since 1862, it is now part of the Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) wine empire.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2009 L'Évangile was found oxidized and not reviewed. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 2009 Bordeaux tasting.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Deep inky-ruby. A fresh violet topnote lifts and complicates aromas of dark plum and cassis on the enticing nose. Quite pure in the mouth, with mineral-driven flavors of dark berries, creamy milk chocolate and smoky plum. Lively framing acidity extends the wine's flavors impressively through a long finish. This has lost some baby fat but picked up more gracefulness since I tried it in the spring of 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
An astonishing effort from the Rothschild family, the 2009 l’Evangile may be the reference point offering from this estate for decades to come. A blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak, with 15% natural alcohol, it exhibits a sumptuous bouquet of caramels, black raspberry liqueur, blackberries, violets, graphite and truffles. Thick, viscous flavors are reminiscent of such super-ripe vintages as 1982, 1959, 1949 and 1947. The striking aromatics, massive, full-bodied mouthfeel and multilayered palate that resembles a skyscraper in the mouth offer an abject lesson in great winemaking, extraordinary terroir, and the ability to combine power with precision, elegance and freshness. This is unquestionably a huge wine, but it also possesses mindboggling complexity and finesse. Because of its sheer extract and velvety personality, it will be drinkable in 4-5 years, and will keep for four decades or more where well-stored. The most profound L’Evangile ever made?
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Picked between 11th September until 7th October but with only six days of picking. Much of the Cabernet Franc was replanted in 2006 and 2007, so it represents just 5% of the blend. Delivering 14.6% alcohol and a pH of 3.73, the L’Evangile is very tight but delineated on the conservative nose. Blackberry, briary, a touch of cedar and sandalwood, the palate is full-bodied with silky smooth tannins on the entry. Great depth here, a voluminous L’Evangile, well-defined and very minerally and yet I can feel the presence of that alcohol on the heavy back palate. Hopefully it will settle down on the finish by the time of bottling. Let’s see how this evolves by the time of bottling...I would like to see it engender more finesse. Tasted April 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The prodigious 2009 l’Evangile may be the greatest wine made at this estate during my 30+ years of tasting Bordeaux. Yields were 39 hectoliters per hectare, and the harvest was relatively long, with everything being picked at perfect maturity between September 11 and October 7. The estate is doing malolactic in barrel (a la Burgundy), and the final blend (95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc) achieved 14.5% natural alcohol. Amazingly, this cuvee is aged in 100% new oak barrels, yet no oak is present in the aromas or flavors. Readers should think of it as a better, richer, fuller, more alcoholic version of the 1982 l’Evangile. Dense, full-bodied, and opaque purple-hued, it boasts an extraordinary bouquet of spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, and boysenberries. A blue and black mountain fruit character suggests coolness, but an intensity and voluptuous texture present the paradox of 2009. The wine has all the characteristics of a hot vintage in terms of power, texture, and richness as well as elements of a cool vintage in its precision, elegance, freshness, and vibrancy. Make no mistake about it, this is an enormous wine that is incredible to taste. Frankly, I could have drunk the entire barrel sample if it hadn’t been my first appointment of the day (at 8:15 a.m.)! This wine should drink well for 30-40 years. Bravo! (Tasted once.)
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the chateau. Winemaker Jean-Pascale Vazart told me he thinks this is even better than the 2005. It is a blend of 95% Merlot (high due to parcels of Cabernet Franc being replanted), this has a very delineated bouquet with pure red berried fruit, crushed stone, a touch of dried violet and later, a little spice-box. The palate is medium-bodied but it has great power and weight, a quite masculine L’Evangile, strict and linear with a saline/black olive touch of the long aftertaste. Tightly coiled now but sure to evolve with style. This is showing the finesse I was looking for when tasted out of barrel. Tasted November 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The L’Evangile is perhaps entering a broody patch, but it will ultimately become a brilliant Pomerol. It has a charming, gingerbread tinged bouquet with lively red berry fruit and Provencal herbs. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity. It is more Merlot driven, though there is a fine tannic backbone and a line of graphite through the finish. All the constituent parts are in place and expect that score to rise in the future. Tasted January 2013.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
An astonishing effort from the Rothschild family, the 2009 l’Evangile may be the reference point offering from this estate for decades to come. A blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak, with 15% natural alcohol, it exhibits a sumptuous bouquet of caramels, black raspberry liqueur, blackberries, violets, graphite and truffles. Thick, viscous flavors are reminiscent of such super-ripe vintages as 1982, 1959, 1949 and 1947. The striking aromatics, massive, full-bodied mouthfeel and multilayered palate that resembles a skyscraper in the mouth offer an abject lesson in great winemaking, extraordinary terroir, and the ability to combine power with precision, elegance and freshness. This is unquestionably a huge wine, but it also possesses mindboggling complexity and finesse. Because of its sheer extract and velvety personality, it will be drinkable in 4-5 years, and will keep for four decades or more where well-stored. The most profound L’Evangile ever made?
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Solid as a rock, aromas of flowers, minerals, dark berries, and milk chocolate. Full and chewy, this has super polished tannins and a powerful backbone. This is very structured and intense, then becomes velvety and intense. I can’t wait to see how this evolves. Barrel sample.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A wine that impresses you, with its subtlety and strength. Every molecule of the tannins and fruit seems to be almost perfectly in line. Enticing dark fruits and milk chocolate. The delicate, yet intense flavors go on for minutes. My palate is so caressed. Such class here. Might end up being better than the perfect 2005. Try after 2020.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
The purity of fruit in this is spellbinding now with blackberry and blueberry as well as violet undertones. Focused on intense yet subtle fruit. Full body, very tight yet textured and sexy. Ultra-fine tannins. The aftertaste of light chocolate and burnt orange peel is always subtle and bright. Needs at least another five or six years to open but already a joy to taste.
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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