Wine Advisor
L'Evangile 2015
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2015 L'Evangile is a blend of 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc picked between September 15 and October 5, and September 29 to October 5 respectively. Matured almost in 100% new oak, it has a very pure and charming bouquet, the Merlot dominant and slightly shrouding the Cabernet Franc at the moment. It is worth staying with this Pomerol, because it does change after four to five minutes in the glass, revealing touches of truffle and iodine. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, well-judged acidity, understated on the entry but gaining momentum in the glass, retaining a wonderful sense of symmetry and finishing with precision and class. This could well be the pick of the wines from the Domaines Barons Rothschild stable in 2015 and kudos to winemaker Jean-Pascal Vazart.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2015 L'Evangile has a very seductive bouquet with ripe red cherries, boysenberry, hints of black truffle and iodine. I love the sheer seductiveness of this wine, which wants to drag you into bed (after enough bottle age). The palate is medium-bodied with a veneer of creamy oak, underneath which lay layers of pure red fruit laced with white pepper, touches of cumin and truffle. This will require several years to fully integrate the oak which is more prominent than its Pomerol peers, but the structure and freshness will see this age with panache and style.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2015 L'Évangile is a powerhouse. Rich, deep and ample, the 2015 shows the richer, more potent side of the year. Black cherry, plum, new leather and spice build as this extroverted Pomerol shows off its flamboyant personality. There is not a whole lot of subtlety here. It will be interesting to see if more nuance develops over time. For now, the 2015 is dense and vibrant, that much is obvious. I would give the 2015 at least a few years in bottle to shed some baby fat.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
One of the highlights of the year, the 2015 L'Évangile is deep, powerful and intense, with remarkable concentration and plenty of power. Dark fruit, exotic spice and new leather are all pushed forward. A dramatic, towering wine, the 2015 is endowed with real density, big, but creamy tannins and exceptional balance, especially for a wine of its size. The blend is 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc, brought in between September 15 and October 5, and September 29 and October 6 respectively. Seventy percent of the production went into the Grand Vin, which is aging in 100% new oak. The 2015 is a powerhouse that will need considerable bottle age to be at its best.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2015 L'Evangile has a fragrant bouquet with blackberry, raspberry coulis, cedar, truffle, and lovely Pomerol traits coming through. The palate is well balanced with succulent red berry fruit, smooth in texture with sweet vanilla-y new oak toward the finish that will require a couple of years to fully subsume. This is a fine Pomerol but it does not match my note from 12 months previously. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2015 L'Evangile is composed of 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc and was matured for 18 months in new oak barrels from Tonnellerie des Domaines (their own cooperage). Deep garnet-purple in color, it absolutely leaps from the glass with complex, gregarious notes of blackberry pie, plum preserves, smoked meats/charcuterie, mocha and licorice plus suggestions of cloves, black soil and unsmoked cigars. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and jaw-droppingly sexy, it has beautifully plush yet firm tannins with a lively backbone and a very long, spicy finish.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2015 L'Evangile has a fragrant bouquet with blackberry, raspberry coulis, cedar, truffle, and lovely Pomerol traits coming through. The palate is well balanced with succulent red berry fruit, smooth in texture with sweet vanilla-y new oak toward the finish that will require a couple of years to fully subsume. This is a fine Pomerol but it does not match my note from 12 months previously. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
What a wine here. It is so traditional and powerful with super depth of fruit and chewy tannins. Full body, incredible concentration and length. It’s so muscular and powerful. So minerally and nutty (walnuts). Marvelous.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Stunning aromas of blackberries, black olives, brown sugar and dried flowers. Tar. Full-bodied, dense and layered. Superfine tannins, yet this is muscular and long. An amazing wine reminiscent of the great L’Evangiles of the 1950s. Straight track. Goes on and on. Truly great wine. Try in 2024. Just a baby.
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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Package Size
1 x 3L12 x 75cl
