Château l'Evangile 2010

Powerful, full-bodied, fiery, with crisp tannins and a meaty finish; a rich-extract L’Evangile that should age a bit.

A Pomerol of a different color, relying heavily on dense muscle and dark charcoal notes, with a core of fig, blackberry paste and blueberry reduction waiting in reserve. Very solid through the finish, displaying a thick ganache coating and extra loam, black licorice and dark fig notes rolling through. Best from 2017 through 2037. 3,000 cases made.

Concentrated and closed on the nose, this has silky, seductive, finely layered tannins, with tons of fruit and acidity providing the counterpoint. We are very definitely stepping up a level here, even among the extremely good quality wines that I am tasting. The depth and texture are striking, as are the exotic notes of anise and black peppercorns, and the whispers of iris and violet flowers as things open up in the glass. Such a lovely property, really showing what it can do.

Superb aromas of blackberry, blueberry, violets and citrus peel. Some oyster shell and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with chewy tannins and lots of rich fruit on the finish. Turns to walnut and dark berry. I love the texture and richness. A wine to follow for your lifetime. Just starting to open now.

The nose evokes walking into a flower shop, with a pound of truffles and Cuban cigars in your front pocket. Powerful, full-bodied and intense, the wine is fresh, tannic, and young. Give this another 8–10 years to soften and fill out. The wine was made from a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, subtle brightening toward the rim. Delicate nuances of beeswax and ripe cherries, sweet dark-berry texture, delicate Lindt nougat chocolate, a highly attractive bouquet. Juicy, complex, pleasurable, with extracted sweetness, ripe tannins, remarkably good freshness, mineral-salty nuances, persistent, black cherries on the finish, great length. Seems quite accessible at the moment. One should nevertheless exercise patience so as not to miss much of what has been invested in this wine of the highest class for the future. Has incredible freshness.

The harvest was so small that the second wine, Blason dEvangile, wasn’t even presented for tasting. The Grand Vin shows an extremely dark purple with violet highlights. Generous bouquet with baroque depth, plenty of underlying spices, blackberries and licorice. On the palate, much more fruit than on the nose, intoxicatingly charming with silky-round tannins, vanilla bean, black currant and plenty of juiciness. Softer than many competitors in the same weight class, finishing with a noble dark-chocolate bitterness. Despite the high figures, the wine is already perfectly balanced. It can still improve and catch up with the 2009.

88.2% Merlot, 12.2%. 30 hl/ha. So a small harvest. The second wine Blason d'Evangile was not shown during the en primeur tasting. Reason: due to the generally very small harvest, there are only a few thousand bottles. Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet highlights. A full-bodied bouquet with baroque depth, plenty of underlying spices, blackberries and licorice. On the palate, much more fruit appears than on the nose, showing intoxicating charm in silky-round tannins, vanilla bean, black currant and plenty of juice. As a result, it feels softer than many competitors in the same weight class, with a noble dark-chocolate bitterness on the finish. Despite the high figures, the wine is already perfectly balanced. It can still gain and catch up with the 2009.

(88.8% Merlot, 11.5% Cabernet Franc) Sweet, finely opulent, complex, creamy bouquet; blue and black berries, dried fruits, pralines, mint. Velvety, multilayered, elegant palate with dense, velvety fruit, plenty of fine tannin, dense, multifaceted aromatics, elegant structure, very long, sumptuous finish with very good afterflavors, cedar, graphite. Can improve further. 19/20 2018 - 2040

Reserved aromatics at first, slowly uncurling to crème de cassis, orange peel, cherry pit, cassis, incense; intense and smoky, full of character, still very young. Muscular, with a long life ahead, poised and pulled together, with creamy tannins and crushed rose petals on the finish.

Very elegant attack, very fine tannins, persistent, highly aromatic, freshness, beautiful aromatic palette. Only 6,000 b of Blason. 14.7°, 14.9° in 2009, the berries weighed 1 g instead of 1.3 g.

Logo on the cork: LBG Faulty bottle Tasted blind, not decanted. Dark, intense, evolved colour. Moderately aromatic nose with ripe, fresh fruit. Broad and supple on the attack, the wine quickly turns harsh from mid-palate through the finish. The cru’s style is not there. It’s a faulty bottle.