Château l'Evangile 2025

The nose of Evangile is ripe and fruity yet fresher than in other warm years: ripe blackberries, smoky notes, dark chocolate, violet, and an herbal, spicy lift; on the palate it is powerful, with juicy fruit, perfectly ripe tannins, well-judged acidity, a pleasing freshness, plenty of tension, and a fruity, spicy, saline finish. A highly elegant Evangile that will charm early while also ageing superbly.

Nice plump roundness on the palate with a touch of strawberry acidity to bring some life and lift. Quite serious, fine tannins, a cool crisp, blue fruit edge with a lot of liquorice and wet stone aspects – a mineral, salty, spiced grip on the finish. I like the frame, not too heavy but it’s still quite tight. I don’t find the density of 2022 or 2023 but there’s definitely charm on offer in a cool, serious way right now with a hint of gloss. Ageing 5% amphora. 40% foudre. 45% new oak. 10% used barrels. 3,7pH. A yield of 22hl/ha.

Black fruit, smoke, truffles, chocolate, plums, and Maraschino cherries fill the exotic perfume. But, here, it is the palate that owns the day. Intense and concentrated, the wine offers so much volume, width, and length that you are instantly seduced. Dark, deep, focused, and precise, there is also opulence, depth, and sensuality. The finish provides the lift, so the wine is equally fresh and velvety. This is a fabulous vintage for L'Evangile. The wine blends 66% Merlot with 13% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. 13.7% ABV. The harvest took place August 26 - September 15. The wine is aging in a combination of 40% new, French oak, 40% foudres, amphora, and used oak barrels. Yields were low at only 22 hectoliters per hectare. The Grand Vin was made from 60% of the harvest. Drink from 2030-2060. 96-98 Pts

Damson colour, this has a ton of juicy blue and black fruits, well judged density, energy and lift, clear ageing ability, grilled cumin, peony, iris flowers, slate and crushed rocks, 40% new oak, with large oak casks for almost half of the production. Less Cabernet Franc in this blend simply because of the size of the berries. 3.7ph. Blason no longer sold En Primeur, so not tasted here. Juliette Couderc director. Harvest began on August 26 with young Merlot on gravel. 23hl/h overall yield, fascinating to see how they split across different terroirs in the L'Evangile vineyard - on gravel 15hl/ha, on clay 28hl/ha, on sand, 38hl/h all due to size of berries. In practise this meant a lot of intra-plot harvesting, going through four or five times. The result is impressive.

Intensity has never really been what L’Evangile is about; it is subtlety that takes center stage, along with complexity. Floral nuances, synonymous with freshness, sit alongside aromas of ripe black berries, while a hint of cocoa emerges in the background. The velvety attack signals elegance, perfectly echoed on the mid-palate with smooth, creamy tannins. The acidic framework works in the background, bringing a precious freshness. The wine is harmonious, elegant, linear and mouthwatering. An Evangile focused on finesse, topped off with a refreshing finish extended by a subtle structure.

Deep, dark colour. An intense nose with ripe fruit aromas. Full-bodied from the first sip, silky mid-palate, with plenty of flavour and a velvety texture, the wine develops smoothly across the palate. Juicy, it builds on the finish, ending savoury, deep and very good. Blend: 86% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Alcohol: 13.7% - pH: 3.75. Production: 60% of the crop. Harvest: 26 August to 15 September. Note that this vineyard received only 38 mm of rainfall between the end of May and August.