critic reviews
The second vintage certified organic, this is a blend of 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the élevage was in 15% Tava amphorae, 50% new oak barrels and the remainder in used oak. Unusually the colour here already looks a little advanced, on both samples. Nevertheless it feels dark and pure on the nose, saline bramble fruits with dark chocolate and blackcurrant, with threads of liquorice, cedar and toast. A very complete start to the palate, dark and seamless, highly polished, with a supple and elegantly formed midpalate supporting layers of dark and concentrated fruits, tinged with toast and coffee bean, underpinned by a confident and chalky tannic grip which sits comfortably within the wine but which does makes its presence felt. Lots of rich grip and those warm, peppery tannins in the finish;a little more finesse in the tannic structure and perhaps more freshness in colour and fruit would elevate this to an even higher score, nevertheless this is a good result for L’Évangile. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%.
Beautiful depth of flavour through the palate, nuanced blackberry and damson fruits, orange peel, saffron, crayon, cassis, great quality, with flesh through the mid palate, coupled with lift on the finish, impressive. Harvest August 29 to September 14, in organic conversion, Juliette Couderc winemaker, Saskia de Rothschild owner. 28hl/h yield.
The 2022 L'Évangile, aged in 50% new oak, 10% in <em>foudres</em> and the rest in amphora, was bottled in May 2024. It has a well-defined bouquet that blossoms in the glass with black cherries, marmalade, orange rind and light mineral aromas. This is very controlled and focused. Pure in style, the palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins and a saline note on the middle and finish. It is not as powerful as you might presuppose, yet it feels long and tender—a classically styled Pomerol. This is excellent.
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 elevage continues too, as Evangile's creamy oak signature is much released, allowing the fruitand this superb terroirto take center stage. It's a blend of 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon.