L'Evangile 2005

Good deep red-ruby. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, plum, minerals, truffle and smoked meat, complicated by torrefaction notes of coffee and chocolate; very ripe but not at all roasted. Enters sweet and silky, with an almost weightless impression, then saturates the palate with seamless flavors of dark berries, minerals and cocoa powder. Finishes long and fresh, with sophisticated, fine-grained tannins and piquant minerality. A beauty.

Aromatic, beautifully textured, enormous depth of sweet fruit. Hides a powerful tannic frame. Remarkable balance for such a big wine. Better than the very good 2004 and 2000. Drink 2013-2030.

Came sixteenth out of 184 wines

L’Evangile’s sublime 2005, a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, is the first wine made in their brand new cuverie. Sadly, there are fewer than 3,500 cases of this deep purple-colored offering. A gorgeous nose of meat juices, black raspberries, chocolate, espresso, and notions of truffle oil as well as smoke is followed by a full-bodied Pomerol displaying sweet tannin, a flawless texture, and stunning complexity. While surprisingly showy and forward for a l’Evangile, it will undoubtedly shut down over the next year or so. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030

Production for this outstanding blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc (made in a new cuverie) is only 40,000 bottles. The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2005 l’Evangile boasts a sweet perfume of roasted meats, black raspberries, chocolate, espresso, and notions of truffles and licorice. Full-bodied and opulent, with sweet tannin, and superb purity as well as texture, this stunning Pomerol carries its lofty 13.2% alcohol flawlessly. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.

The finest l’Evangile since the 2000 and 1998 (the chateau’s staff believes it will eclipse those two vintages), the 2005 is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc produced from yields of 39 hectoliters per hectare. It is aged in 100% new oak and some lots enjoy malolactic in barrel. A saturated purple color is accompanied by sweet aromas of blackberries, mocha, camphor, and hints of licorice as well as spice. Finely etched tannins provide considerable support and definition to this full-bodied, opulent Pomerol. It easily conceals its lofty tannin and sizeable alcohol (13.2%). Undeniably a top effort from one of Pomerol’s finest terroirs, it should be at its peak between 2010-2030.

This is incerdible. This is a bomb. Exotic. Complex aromas and flavours of ripe fruit, dark chocolate, coffee and light raisins. Full-bodied, big and velvety. Very, very long. Gorgeous. This could be close to 100 points.

My notes while drinking this say 'almost impossible not to gulp down', which is surely a positive quality for a wine of the year. Packed with intense, sun-ripened black cherry and damson fruit, all edged with smoked caramel and saffron. A great vintage to be trying in Pomerol right now, as many Pauillacs remain fairly closed even at 16 years old, but the Merlots of Pomerol are more willing to show off. Owned by the Rothschild family since 1990 in partership, and as sole owners since 1998, Jean-Pascal Vazart technical director. Located on gravel soils over heavy clay on the border with St Emilion, aged in 70% new oak.

Sweet and rich on the nose. Good life and really satiny completeness. No rough edges but lots of fine, ripe tannin. Racy and rich. I swallowed this! Even at 7.10pm after more than five hours of tasting and spitting... Very neat and complete. OK, a hint of oak but very good overall

Very very deep crimson 13.5 per cent. Opulent and easy and full but with lovely acidity. Very subtle and round. Great zest. Lovely density with lift. 85 per cent Merlot, with 3-4 days' cold maceration. Fresh and lively. Sweet start and dry finish in the best sense. Very very neat and intense. Sweet tea character. Long and neat. Drink 2014-30