2022, Château L'Évangile, POMEROL

Bordeaux Blend: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon

This château is situated in a prime position on the Pomerol plateau between Pétrus, La Conseillante and Cheval Blanc. The wines here are always smooth and seductive and are made by the team from Château Lafite. 2022 is a blend of 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

 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 centre stage. 95-97 William Kelley, Wine Advocate.

The 2022 L'Evangile has similarities with neighbouring 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. 95-97 Neal Martin, Vinous.

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. 96-97 James Suckling.

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). 2nd year of organic. 95 Jane Anson. 

Drinking Window: 2030 - 2070