Château L'Evangile, Pomerol, 2018
Domaines Barons de Rothschild's property in Pomerol has been a little hit and miss over the last decade. The estate is now 100% organic and 70% of the vineyards are being farmed biodynamically. This presented huge problems when mildew attacked. In the end, they lost 50% of the crop, so there will be some 35,000 bottles produced. The bouquet is quite expressive with notes of crème de cassis, menthol and dried flowers. The palate is threaded with fine grained tannins and hints of fine minerals and salted Valrhona chocolate. It feels a little constructed, but very luxury - all cashmere and silk with sweet alpine strawberries and hedgerow fruit on the finish. The Evangile team harvested early and as a result the alcohol is a relatively low 13.5%. Perfect super-yacht drinking! The Cabernet Franc that was lost to the frost in 2017 made a return to the Grand Vin, the final blend being 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc.
critic reviews
L’Evangile 2018 is deep garnet purple in color. It features notes of crushed rocks, pencil shavings, and tree bark, with a core of boysenberries and Morello cherries. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm and grainy, with muscular fruit and great length.
The 2018 L'Evangile is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes barreling out of the glass with explosive scents of boysenberries, stewed plums and baked blackberries with hints of lilacs, candied violets, Indian spices and garrigue, plus a touch of black truffles. Full-bodied, rich and powerful in the mouth, this blockbuster coats the palate with layers of black fruit preserves and exotic spices, framed by plush tannins and wonderful energy, finishing long and savory. Decadently approachable now, give it 4-5 years in bottle for maximum impact and drink it over the next 20+ years.
The 2018 L’Evangile is the vintage when Cabernet Franc (20%) returned to the blend after mildew reduced the percentage of Merlot. It has an almost identical bouquet to the one that I encountered from barrel, that attractive mélange of black fruit, briar and a lovely marine/oyster shell scent now accentuated in bottle. As I mentioned in my previous note, the Cabernet Franc shapes the aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, the 70% new oak still quite vocal and, to my mind, dictating the finish, rather than L’Evangile’s exceptional terroir. There is a slight concluding bitterness that nags away on the very briny aftertaste. With aging I am certain this Pomerol will improve, but it just misses the charm of other vintages at the moment.