- Colour Red
- Producer Château l'Evangile
- Region Pomerol
- Drinking 2028 - 2053
- Case size 6x75cl
- Available En Primeur
2022 - Ch L'Evangile Pomerol - 6x75cl
- Colour Red
- Producer Château l'Evangile
- Region Pomerol
- Drinking 2028 - 2053
- Case size 6x75cl
- Available En Primeur
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Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 95-97
The 2022 L'Evangile was picked at 30hL/ha. It is aged in 50% new oak sourced from four coopers plus two recently introduced foudres. There are similarities with neighboring Cheval Blanc on the nose as if it's holding something back in a good way. Beautifully defined, dark berry fruit, crushed stone and bay leaf aromas are succinct and not showy. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, velvety entry. There's plenty of rondeur, nicely judged acidity, pliant tannins (more than Cheval Blanc?) and pure with a dab of white pepper and clove. Classic in style. A touch of desiccated orange rind appears on the aftertaste that was apparently there during the fermentation. Very harmonious on the finish. This is a lovely, discrete Pomerol from an estate moving in the right direction - fast. 14.3% alcohol. Drink 2030-2070
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 95-97
Given the young average age of this estate's vineyards, its well-draining soils and the extreme vintage, I was a little apprehensive; but the technical team evidently took the conditions in their stride, harvesting the east-facing side of the vines (which sees the hottest afternoon sun) four days earlier. The resulting 2022 L'Evangile is beautiful, offering up aromas of raspberries, vine smoke, black truffles, violets and gravely soil. Medium to full-bodied, supple and velvety, it's seamless and polished, with a bright core of fruit and powdery tannins that temper 2022's inherent sweetness of fruit to sophisticated effect. At this early stage, it appears that the estate's progress with regards to élevage continues too, as Evangile's creamy oak signature is much released, allowing the fruit—and this superb terroir—to take center stage. It's a blend of 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Decanter, April 2023, Score: 97
Savoury notes on the nose, liquorice, cinnamon, spicy pepper with fragranced blackcurrant and black cherry and strawberry. Appealing juicines and fresh acidity, not at all sharp, but chalky balanced by a sleek frame, giving power and concentration but refreshing too with a crisp, wet stone bite that immediately offsets the acidity and fruit intensity. Doesn’t immediately shine out of the glass, this is more shy and calm. Definitely more straight and almost light in terms of expression (most of the power, opulence and oomph has gone into Blason), but this is extremely well made. So well constructed and delivered, just toned down, less shouty, more sophisticated, one to watch and will age wonderfully. 3.82pH. Ageing 10% foudre, 15% amphora, 50% new oak and the rest in one year barrels. A yield of 28hl/ha. Harvest 29 August - 14 September.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 95-97
The 2022 L'Évangile is seriously impressive right out of the gate, dark, rich and enveloping. Dark-fleshed fruit, mocha, spice, leather and a kiss of new oak race across the palate. Texturally, the 2022 is gorgeous. One of the recent changes here (since the 2021 vintage) has been a reduction of wine that undergoes malolactic in barrel, from 100% down to 60-70%. More than anything, the 2022 impresses with its gorgeous inner sweetness and exceptional balance. In short, the 2022 is a classic Évangile. Drink 2032-2062
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 97-98
Juliette Couderc’s second vintage at this Rothschild family owned Pomerol estate expresses her careful representation of its very special terroir. Deep opaque in colour, it is cool yet opulent, with layered flavours of fresh tayberry and bilberry vibrantly structured with dark smoky characters on the palate. It balances a deep intensity with lively vigour and sweet black cherry and dark olive on the finish. Excellent.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 96-97
Fresh, wonderfully refined and gorgeously polished and long, with very fine tannins. Medium to full body. Crunchy fruit and chocolate, hazelnut and spice. Exciting to see how this tensioned beauty will evolve. Wonderful clarity.
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Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 16.5+
Aromatically reticent but there’s lift and a bit of freshness. Ample fruit on the palate and tannins that are smooth and long. A crunchy note adds to the persistence. Still a little wayward but élevage should help. ((James Lawther MW) 14.5% Drink 2029 – 2040
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 95
Density combined with elegance, this has the intensity and spice of the vintage, with an emphasis on tight black fruits, a clear reflection of the phenolic concentration of the year, slow and steady tannic construction that brings in graphite. Unusually for L'Evangile this feels almost Left Bank in character, with its 28hl/h yield (compared to 33hl/h in 2020 but with almost 20% more berries this year, but they were such small sizes). 3.8ph 2nd year of organic certification.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 95-97
The Grand Vin checks in as 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 50% new oak, 15% in amphora, 10% in foudre, and the rest in used barrels. It has another level of purity and class, with ripe red and black cherries, leafy herbs, truffle, and spice-driven aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol offering beautiful tannins, a silky, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. Hitting 14.2% alcohol, with a pH of 3.84 and an IPT of 75, this classy, balanced Pomerol shines for its purity and finesse, and it should blossom with just short-term cellaring.
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LPB, April 2023, Score: 96-98
The 2022 L'Evangile is composed of 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of swirling to coax out notes of juicy black plums, boysenberry preserves, and black raspberries, followed by hints of garrigue, clove oil, lilacs, and licorice. The full-bodied palate is chock full of rich, multi-layered black fruits with velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and minerally.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 19.5+
It was a pleasure to taste at L’Evangile with Saskia de Rothschild and winemaker Juliette Couderc, and it is clear that both of the Evangile wines are first-class in 2022. There is an overriding sense of calmness and control, and while this Grand Vin is as measured and refined as I have seen at this stage of its evolution, it does not mean it is closed or uncommunicative. However, I had to keep my wits about me because it only started conversing towards the end of my half-hour visit. Finely detailed and initially strict, there are fascinating layers of fruit here that one must navigate to uncover the tenderness and uniqueness of the Evangile character beneath. In this vintage, the tannins are more active, populating the entire flavour experience from start to finish. It is possible to swirl and coax out the fine details on the palate, 44 and when you do, you will find exquisite cherry, cranberry and rhubarb highlights under the dark fruit exterior. With much smaller berries harvested in 2022, the concentration of the fruit flavours is more pronounced and yet the full array of Evangile nuance is there, and you have to work through the darker tones to find the full peacock’s tail of red notes buried within. The tannins will arm this wine for the long run, and I don’t doubt it is set to be a superstar.
Producer
Château l'Evangile
L'Evangile has long been one of the most sought after Right Bank châteaux. Since the Rothschildfamily (the Lafite branch) purchased the estate in 1990, its quality has rivalled neighbouring Pétrus and Lafleur.
Region
Pomerol
The small sub-region of Pomerol is situated north-east of the industrious city of Libourne. Pomerol's soils are predominately iron-rich clay with a smattering of gravel that produce wines with extraordinary power and depth. As a result of this clay-dominance, it has the highest percentage of Merlot planted in all of Bordeaux. Certain châteaux are produced exclusively from this grape, but most incorporate smaller quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc as well. Despite its hefty (if not exclusive) proportion of Merlot, many people think of wines from this region as separate entities. As one wine aficionado stated recently, "It's not Merlot. It's Pomerol." Despite the region's small size, Pomerol contains some of the world's most sought after (and expensive) wines including Pétrus, Le Pin, Lafleur, l'Evangile and Vieux Château Certan. Unlike other Bordelais subregions, there is no system of classification. The châteaux are traded on reputation alone.
