89 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 1993

 Deep ruby/purple, with a super-ripe, port-like nose of licorice, black fruits, and spring flowers, this gorgeously rich, opulent 1989 makes a dramatic impact. Low in acidity, alcoholic and rich, this lusty, beefy wine will require drinking in its first 15-17 years of life. It will be interesting to see if more structure and grip emerge. Anticipated maturity: 1994-2005. Last tasted, 6/93.

89 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 1992

 Deep ruby/garnet, with a super-ripe, port-like nose of licorice, black fruits, and spring flowers, this gorgeously rich, opulent wine makes a fat, expansive impact on the palate. Extremely low in acidity, alcoholic and rich, this big, beefy wine will require drinking in its first 12-15 years of life. If more structure and grip emerge, my rating may prove conservative. Anticipated maturity: 1994-2005. Tasted seven times. Inconsistent notes.

90 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 1998

 For me, the big surprises are the best bottles of 1989 L'Evangile. More forward, and revealing more maturity than the 1990, the dark ruby/purple-colored 1989 (some amber is just beginning to creep in at the edge) offers an exotic, sweet, chocolatey, toffee, roasted herb-scented nose, thick, fat, ripe flavors, low acidity, and far more complexity and richness than I had originally imagined. This delicious wine is close to full maturity - perhaps that is why it is beginning to perform so well. This looks to be a terrific L'Evangile that is significantly better than I may have led readers to believe when I first reported on it in 1990, and subsequently in 1991 and 1992. I would opt for drinking it over the next 10 years, as I do not believe it possesses nearly the aging potential, weight, or force of the 1990. Last tasted 11/96

90 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 1997

 One of my purposes for doing blind tastings of wines I have tasted frequently and feel I know well is to have results such as this. I had never thought the 1989 L'Evangile was an outstanding wine. But a bottle drunk in a French restaurant in early 1996 made me think there was more to this wine than I had originally believed. This blind tasting confirmed that while the 1989 is no 1990, it is far closer in quality than I had originally written. However, readers should realize that it is surprisingly variable from bottle to bottle.

92 points,

Wine Spectator, May 1999

Finely crafted traditional wine. Intense aromas of blackberry, cherry and tobacco. Full-bodied, with lots of tobacco and ripe fruit and velvety tannins.--1989 Bordeaux horizontal. Best after 2001. –JS

About Winery

Chateau l'Evangile is located on the plateau in the commune of Pomerol between Chateau Petrus and Chateau Cheval Blanc... Famous Growth of Pomerol. Even though Pomerol has never been officially rated, Chateau l'Evangile is acknowledged to be one of the finest Chateau in the commune of Pomerol and in all of Bordeaux... 14 hectares ( 35 acres) producing an average of 5,000 cases per year including the second wine... The average age of the vines is 25 years. Chateau l'Evangile has two major soil types. There are the clay soils common to the plateau of Pomerol but also areas of gravel which are very unusual for Pomerol and much more common to the Graves region. The clay produces wines of strength and power while the gravel parts create wines that are more delicate. ..In the earliest times of the estate (up to the mid 1700's), this property was known as Fazilleau. In the mid 1800s the chateau came to prominence under the name Chateau L'Evangile During this rise of fame, L'Evangile was owned by the Chaperon family It stayed in succeeding generations of thier family until the Domaines Baron de Rothschild were brought in as partners. The Rothschild group finally purchased a controlling interest in the property in 1990...All harvesting is done by hand as is required by regulation in the appellation. When the weather allows, the grapes are brought to maximum ripeness. The long hang time before harvest lowers the yeild (about 45 hectolitres per hectare (475 gallons per acre)) but produces wines of great concentration. The alcoholic fermentation takes place in cement talks and lasts for 8-12 days. High value is placed on the extraction of color and tannins from the grapes. After the fermentation, the wines are placed in oak barrels for a period of 20 to 24 months... L'Evangile is known for its highly concentrated wines that have one of the best aging potentials of all the chateaux of Pomerol. These wines are usually quite tannic in thier youth and need a minimum of 5-7 years before opening..

Shipping Details

This is a pre-arrival item. You will be contacted once this product has arrived at our warehouse to arrange delivery.

Need it faster? Call us now at (888) 859-4637 for special arrangements.

Free storage available. We offer free 6 months storage for any wine purchased at JJ Buckley. We highly recommend storing your wines during the summer months to avoid heat damage during shipment.

For a shipping quote, add this product to your shopping cart. From there you will be able to enter a zipcode and get a detailed quote. For full details on our shipping policies, click here.