Château l'Evangile 2023

Somewhat closed, complex, deep, with a mineral character, blackberry, smoke, mocha, menthol; creamy palate, round, soft, ultra-fine tannins, silky and interwoven with the fruit; exceptionally long, fresh and balanced. Will be enjoyable at every stage of its life.

The 2023 L'Évangile is a very fine effort for a property that is mostly planted with young vines. Ample and exuberant, the 2023 races across the palate with succulent red/purplish fruit, blood orange, mint, pomegranate, mocha and dried flowers. Today the 2023 is still quite fruity. It will need the better part of a decade to develop aromatic complexity and help the tannins soften. This is a fine effort from the team led by Technical Director Juliette Couderc.

The perfume opens with aromas of violets, lilacs, rose, lilacs, chocolate, licorice, and truffle. The silky, vivacious, and polished palate is packed with soft, elegant, creamy, refined fruits that build and expand as they linger. The finish continues along the same path with touches of spice, smoke, licorice, dark chocolate, black fruit and red plums, cherries, smoke, and truffles, all wrapped up by its luscious, velvety textures. The wine blends 78% Merlot with 21% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2029-2060.

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections. Delicately earthy nose, dark forest berries, dark cherries, tobacco nuances, candied orange zest. On the palate juicy, complex, finely meshed, subtle herbal savouriness, vivid tannins, salty finish, metallic-limestone touch in the aftertaste; classic Pomerol expression, has length and good ageing potential.

A fascinating exercise in terroir, as this shows the same alcohol as the Blason, but the density, fruit character and even the IPT (tannin) count are very different. You see the impact of clay soils in the building of the powerful architecture and the plush damson and black cherry fruits. There is density but tenderness to the tannins, with grilled caramel that gives a beautiful Pomerol signature. Violet floral edging arrives towards the finish, as things open up, and this is an impressive L'Evangile that can age with ease. 42 hl/ha yield, a record in recent years here. Certified organic since 2021. Great stuff from technical director Juliette Couderc.

Score: 94–96. A shy nose, with a dark, deep register of black fruits and slate. Audrey Hepburn’s grace on the palate, with succulent black fruits that glide gently, and elegant floral notes. Immense purity in the wine, and a long, smooth, saline finish.

Such harmony in this bouquet—such a fine symbiosis between ripeness and freshness, between sunny elements (a warm year) and the terroir (plenty of clay, but also sand for some old Merlots). Everything is perfectly measured, elegant and, by extension, subtle. Dense on the attack, the wine unfolds with clarity and poise. It has character and charm, with velvety tannins in step with a structuring acidity. Precise, they provide a solid backbone and gradually reveal themselves. It is on the finish that they are most impactful, bringing freshness and enhancing the aromatic persistence of the finale. A very accomplished wine combining charm, depth and vitality.

The nose is fruity, generous, fresh and precise, with a pleasing touch of mellowness and a three-dimensional, layered feel. It reveals notes of fleshy blackberry, violet and, more subtly, blueberry, alongside hints of juicy roasted red berries, touches of blond tobacco, and a delicate note of vanilla and mocha, with a hint of graphite and an almost imperceptible touch of clove. The palate is fruity, balanced and refined, offering minerality and freshness, good definition and accuracy, a tangy acidic framework, generosity, tension, a dark elegance, an infusion-like character and brightness. On the palate, the wine shows notes of juicy/fleshy blackberry and vibrant, fleshy black plum, with a lighter touch of cornflower, joined by hints of camphor, graphite and toasty/caramelised nuances, as well as suggestions of almost bright red berries, plus a subtle touch of toast and Bourbon vanilla. Lovely purity, with a mellow, generous mid-palate. Nice energy and an elongated feel. A nearly imperceptible hint of almost grilled aromatic herbs lingers on the finish.

Fragrant redcurrant and cranberry. Milk chocolate, vanilla, creamy, fruity and fresh with cherry and plum fruit. Cool and crisp, so much freshness straight away and so sleek; the weight comes from the density of ripe fruit yet the frame stays very slick. Lovely movement and energy, softly vibrant but also quite rich—a spectrum of cranberry, blackcurrant and plum gives lots of different expressions, with liquorice and tobacco on the finish. Chalky and stony, with a lovely mineral grip too. Feels sophisticated and balanced, nothing sticks out—suave and elegant. I love its gentle expression; it doesn’t shout, but it will be a joy to drink and enjoy. I love it. Everything seems delicately balanced on a tightrope, with tenderness, density and tension. Really great and more finessed than some Pomerols. pH 3.8. Ageing: 8% amphora, 50% new oak, 15% foudre, the rest used barrels. Yield 42 hl/ha. Green harvests were carried out to drop 15–20% of the potential yield, as the team had ‘never seen so many grapes on the vines’.

93-95. Barrel Sample. Ripe tannins give this wine a structured character. Perfumed blackberry fruit comes from the 21% Cabernet Franc in the blend. It has a fine tension, balanced and juicy, solid with tannins.

Deep colour with bright, bluish highlights. The nose is intense, refined and pure, with fruit, truffle notes and a slight toastiness. With a swirl of the glass, it becomes even more aromatic while remaining subtle. Precise on the attack, aromatic through the mid-palate, with a velvety texture and an elegant hint of violet, the wine rises on the finish—long, flavoursome and fine.

The 2023 L'Evangile has turned out nicely, unwinding in the glass with notes of cherries, iris, mocha and smoke. Medium- to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a broad, expansive profile, it's built around sweet tannins and ripe acids. It's a blend of 78% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, checking in at 13.5% alcohol, that was harvested between September 4 and 28, and yields came in at 42 hectoliters per hectare after a green harvest.