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L'Evangile 2005

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Franc

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château L'Évangile

Label

Tasting Notes

The 2005 L’Evangile’s gorgeous aromatics consist of spring flowers, black raspberries, licorice, truffle and graphite. The wine is full-bodied, rich, still youthful and backward, with sweet tannin and a long, layered, full-bodied mouthfeel. This stunner is capable of another two to three decades of longevity. The greatest L’Evangile since the 1982 and before the heroic duo of 2009 and 2010? Drink 2015-2045.

96
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (219), June 2015
100
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, February 2008

The 2005 L'Evangile is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color, it delivers a powerful nose of juicy black and blue fruits - blueberry pie and plum preserves - with nuances of licorice, mocha, and tapenade, plus a hint of black truffles. This is a rich, medium to full-bodied fruit behemoth, with super-firm, super-ripe, rounded tannins and tons of freshness, finishing with epic length. Enjoy it now and over the next 20 years+. Owned by Lafite, L'Evangile's vines are located on the border of Saint-Emilion, just across from Cheval Blanc.

97
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, July 2022

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.

97
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, September 2022

Tasted blind. Blackish crimson. Very rich and heady on the nose. Hedonistic. Polish. The creamy fruit just about obliterates the well-managed tannins. Intense and creamy. Not too hot on the end. Classy stuff.
Drink 2016-2038

18
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, March 2017

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.

94
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

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.

18.5
James Lawther MW, Decanter.com, April 2006

Came sixteenth out of 184 wines

17.83
-, Southwold Bordeaux Tasting, January 2009
Read more tasting notes...

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

95
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (176), April 2008

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.

94/96
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (170), April 2007

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.

93/95+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (164), April 2006

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.

95/100
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, March 2006

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.

97
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, July 2021

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

18
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2009

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

18.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2006
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.