99 James Suckling
So ethereal and great on the nose with glorious fresh flowers, such as violets, together with black olives. Dark berries, too. But the archetypal Pomerol nose. Full-bodied yet, at the same time, so refined and structured. Glorious tannin tension and focus. Vibrant finish. Shows energy and focus. Try after 2024.
97 Robert Parker
The 2016 L'Evangile is made from 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet France. It has a deep garnet-purple color and opens with notions of plum preserves, Black Forest cake, red cherry compote and black raspberries with touches of menthol, chocolate box, licorice and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features fantastically ripe, velvety tannins and beautiful freshness, lifting the generous, brightly fruited mid-palate and giving bags of energy to the very long-lingering, minerally finish.<br/>“We had a little mildew at flowering and very small berries this year,” L’Evangile’s Operations Manager, Jean-Pascal Vazart, told me. “It was an easy vintage, but the problem now is that the summers are so dry. Young vines in particular get stressed. Around 13th September we received a little rain, but otherwise there was no rain during the growing season. Thankfully, we had gotten a lot of rain in the winter and spring, so the water tables were full and it got us through the very dry summer.” L’Evangile reported very small yields in 2016, largely due to the small berries and therefore less juice—just 28 hectoliters per hectare. And yet, the quality remains high here for both the grand vin and the second wine, featuring all that beautiful vibrancy and vivacity that are signatures of this vintage.
97 Robert Parker
The 2016 L'Evangile is made from 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet France. It has a deep garnet-purple color and opens with notions of plum preserves, Black Forest cake, red cherry compote and black raspberries with touches of menthol, chocolate box, licorice and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features fantastically ripe, velvety tannins and beautiful freshness, lifting the generous, brightly fruited mid-palate and giving bags of energy to the very long-lingering, minerally finish.<br/>“We had a little mildew at flowering and very small berries this year,” L’Evangile’s Operations Manager, Jean-Pascal Vazart, told me. “It was an easy vintage, but the problem now is that the summers are so dry. Young vines in particular get stressed. Around 13th September we received a little rain, but otherwise there was no rain during the growing season. Thankfully, we had gotten a lot of rain in the winter and spring, so the water tables were full and it got us through the very dry summer.” L’Evangile reported very small yields in 2016, largely due to the small berries and therefore less juice—just 28 hectoliters per hectare. And yet, the quality remains high here for both the grand vin and the second wine, featuring all that beautiful vibrancy and vivacity that are signatures of this vintage.
96 Wine Spectator
Features a wide swath of espresso, loam and smoldering tobacco flavors out front, followed by a tighter beam of black currant and blackberry paste. Dense and fleshy in feel, with echoes of warm earth and bittersweet cocoa scoring the finish. This wine flaunts its muscle. Best from 2024 through 2040. 250 cases made. — JM
96 Wine Spectator
Features a wide swath of espresso, loam and smoldering tobacco flavors out front, followed by a tighter beam of black currant and blackberry paste. Dense and fleshy in feel, with echoes of warm earth and bittersweet cocoa scoring the finish. This wine flaunts its muscle. Best from 2024 through 2040. 250 cases made. — JM
