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L'Evangile 2010
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Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux 2010 tasting. Chateau L'Evangile never really lends itself to blind comparisons. My score was parsimonious but even with one last sip before pouring my glass away, it seemed to be rapidly improving. It has a lively bouquet with red cherry fruit, kirsch and touches of eau-de-vie: hedonistic with faint hints of fresh prune. The palate has a ripe, sensual opening. Ripe and sweet in the mouth but a little pinched on the mid-palate with a spicy finish, this just lacks the composure of its peers and yet with time, it coalesces and attains more focus and precision. Tasted January 2014.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
As I have been predicting, the Rothschilds are pushing l’Evangile to the highest level of the Pomerol hierarchy. Composed of 88.8% Merlot and 11.2% Cabernet Franc, the 2010 achieved 14.7% alcohol naturally, making it one of the few 2010s with lower alcohol than its 2009 counterpart (the 2009 had 15% alcohol and the 2008 had 14.5%). Most of that is due to the superb ripeness and the high concentration of Merlot in 2010. The berries were extremely tiny and the drought and cool nights in August and September gave the 2010 a lower pH and higher acidity than the 2009. For example, the 2010's pH is 3.7, the 2009's is higher and in 2000 it was 4.0. The dense purple-colored 2010 exhibits massive levels of black raspberries, Asian plum sauce, truffles and cassis. The wine is unctuously textured and remarkably fresh with a weighty richness (much like the 2009) but greater delineation. A marvelous effort, it, along with the 2009, may turn out to be one of the two greatest wines made by l’Evangile. The 2010 should drink well young yet last for three decades or more.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A blend of 88.8% Merlot and 11.2% Cabernet Franc, the l’Evangile was cropped between 21st September and 12th October and delivers a healthy 14.7% alcohol and a 3.7pH. Yields were just 31hl/ha due to coulure affected the Merlot. It has a very deep ruby colour. The nose is quite precocious yet still very well defined with blackberry, bilberry, a touch of limestone. The palate is full-bodied, sinewy, multi-dimensional with layers ripe red-berried fruits: pomegranate and raspberry with just a touch of spice. Symmetrical and very focused, perhaps without the swagger of the 2009. It is a forceful Pomerol at the moment, but at the same time intriguing and cerebral. Warning: this might blow you away after bottling. Tasted March 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the property, the L’Evangile 2010 was an absolute corker in barrel and now in bottle, the nose is a brooding, almost saturnine beast that bides its time and when your back is turned, it unfurls to offer beautiful, very pure dark red cherry fruit laced with dates, blueberry and truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins on the entry. This has immense backbone and focus, every flavour in its right price. There are subtle notes of raspberry, wild strawberry, cedar, white pepper and black truffle, whilst the finish is incredibly powerful, akin to the great vintages of yesteryear. Cellar and long life ahead required. Tasted November 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Another spectacular effort from L’Evangile, the 2010 is a close rival to the 2009 and should be fascinating to compare with that vintage over the next 30 or so years. Stunningly rich and black/purple in color, the 2010 L’Evangile offers up the tell-tale floral note as well as black raspberry jam intermixed with cassis and kirsch. There are also ethereal floral notes and a hint of background oak. The pH is slightly above average (3.7 versus the pH of 4.0 that the 2009 and 2000 possessed). This is a massive, rich, very impressive L’Evangile, and readers should take note of the “+” in my rating, which could certainly push this wine way up there. Remarkably, I was shocked when I learned that this wine was aged in 100% new oak, as the oak is a background element in this blockbuster l’Evangile. Forget it for 3-5 years, and drink it over the following 30-40. With an alcohol level hitting the scales at 14.8%, the 2,000 cases of 2010 L’Evangile come from a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, which I assume is much less Cabernet Franc than what was used under the old administration of the Ducasse family versus what is being done now by Eric de Rothschild and his team. The new administrators have added some vineyard parcels from neighboring sites, particularly Le Croix de Gay, and they have also replanted part of this vineyard, which sits on the St.-Emilion border next to La Conseillante and facing Cheval Blanc and La Dominique.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet in color, the 2010 L'Evangile strides confidently out of the glass with notes of chocolate-covered cherries, vanilla pod, sweaty leather and baked plums plus hints of tobacco leaf and cinnamon stick. Full-bodied, the generously fruited palate has a lovely, plush frame with oodles of freshness and a spicy kick to the finish.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(89% merlot and 11% cabernet franc; 3.75 pH; 14.7% alcohol) Opaque purple-ruby. Deep, rich aromas of black plum, violet, licorice and chocolate. Extremely broad and impressively large-scaled, with almost shocking sweetness to the jammy red and black fruit flavors. This huge, extract-rich Pomerol comes across as dense and luscious, but may prove almost too much for some wine lovers. The long finish features refined, smooth tannins. I did not get to taste the estate's second wine this year, Blason d'Evangile, as only 6,000 bottles were made and it won't be offered en primeur
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2010 L’Évangile is a Pomerol that I have rated highly in the past, however this bottle performed poorly. It feels slightly oxidised on the nose and is lacking the freshness of its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and well judged acidity. It feels quite ferrous and slightly dry towards the finish, suggesting that this might not last the course. I will defer scoring this for another time. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good medium ruby. Enticing aromas of dark plum, blackcurrant, coffee liqueur and cinnamon are lifted by an intense note of violet. Sweet, lush and round, combining a fine-grained texture and terrific focus thanks to vibrant but harmonious acidity. Finishes very long and pure, with ripe but still youthfully chewy tannins. This very attractive 2010 ought to evolve gracefully for decades.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Extremely complex with black olives, violets and brown sugar. Superb nose. Full body with a impressive density and richness. The quality of the tannins is so very stunning, giving a wonderful texture. Fresh and bright. Such length. Try in 2017.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Superb aromas of blackberry, blueberry, violets and citrus peel. Some oyster shell and dark chocolate. Full body, dense and powerful with chewy tannins and lots of rich fruit at the finish. Turns to walnut and dark berry. I love the texture and richness. A wine to follow for your lifetime. Just opening a little 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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