L'Evangile 2020

The 2020 L'Évangile has a riper nose than the Clos l'Eglise: blackberry, wild strawberry and floral notes of rose petal and iris flower. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, well balanced and fleshy, yet there is backbone here. Nicely focused and harmonious toward the finish, this is a lovely Pomerol that should age with style in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. 2027 - 2052

88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Dense and reserved but with a lift of chocolate and berry fruit as it opens. Generous fruit on the palate, the aromatic complexity more pronounced. Burgundian, berry-fruit nuance. Firmly muscular and tannic behind, the tannins solid but well honed. Slightly grippy finish which could be the oak needing to settle. (JL)Drink 2028 – 2045

(88% M, 12% CF; 14.5% ABV)Rich and dense to smell, full, fresh, richly tannic; freshly ripe, gently mineral, softly fragrant, elegant, even, creamy wine, long and mineral-backed in flavor, long and chocolatey to finish, and just a touch warm at the end. A very good rather than an exceptional Evangile, especially in this great Pomerol plateau vintage. 2026–46+.

The 2020 L'Évangile, the maiden vintage under the new team, is matured in 60% new oak and 40% mixture of used wood and amphora. It has an expressive, mineral-driven bouquet that open nicely with aeration, light floral touches, incense and potpourri emerging with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, lovely balance and very intense. This is not a powerful Pomerol, not one of huge dimension and muscle, yet there is a multi-layered finish of black fruit that lingers long in the mouth. One for laying down for a decade. Very impressive.

The 2020 L’Evangile marks the opening of a chapter with a new winemaking team in place. Perhaps now it will begin challenging the Pomerol elite, which it ought to, given its terroir. The nose augurs a different L’Evangile, no question about that. Gone is the wall of new oak that occasionally shrouded the fruit and terroir expression; the oak is still there, but far more assimilated into the attractive brambly red berry fruit, black currant pastilles and light rose petal scents. The palate is smooth on the entry, so much so that it belies the depth of this wine. Complex and quite cerebral, delivering palpable salinity, particularly toward the finish. Veins of black truffle and white pepper come through with aeration over the course of an hour, and with revisits at three-hour intervals. I think there is a little work to do, but what this L’Evangile conveys is newfound personality and soul and a sense of Pomerol typicité. A new chapter opens. 2026 - 2055

This is so floral and pure, showing crushed-grape character with some walnut and crunchy seeds. It’s full-bodied, juicy and fresh. Purity of fruit. Juicy and long. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc.

This 2020 blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc has an alcohol of 14.5% and a pH of 3.8. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 L'Evangile rolls effortlessly out of the glass with notions of mulberries, black raspberries and stewed red and black plums, plus suggestions of Indian spices, dusty soil and violets with a touch of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate possesses compelling freshness and a fine-grained texture to support the muscular black and red fruits, finishing long and earthy. Drink 2026-2050.