93 -94 points,

James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, April 2012

Love the nose of flowers, blackberries and minerals. Full and very silky with fresh acidity and a clean, long finish. Sexy. 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc.

90 points,

Jancis Robinson, April 2012

Jean-Pascal Vazart, second in command to Charles Chevallier, describes the wine as fruity and expressive. It does have plenty of fruit but I found it more expressive on the palate than on the nose at the moment. 6% Cabernet Franc, 94% Merlot. Very dark crimson with dark cherry rim and black core. Dark and savoury – both fruit and oak flavours - and the tannins are fine but pretty dense. Quite unexpectedly juicy in the middle (like a dark chocolates with a liquid fruit centre) but then markedly dark fruited on the finish. Lively though dark. Good length, too. Nice balance between density of tannins and liveliness. Finishes fresh. 17/20 (JH)

92 -94 points,

Neal Martin's Wine Journal, April 2012

Tasted en primeur at the property with Jean-Pascal Vazart. The L'Evangile 2011 is a blend of 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc picked between 6th with the young vines and 21st September and 19th to 21st September respectively cropped at 32hl/ha. It has 13.6 degrees alcohol and a pH of 3.7, an IPT of 76. As usual, this cru is always taciturn at first and so I leave my sample for a few minutes before writing any notes. It has a voluptuous, sensual bouquet with pure vanillary red berry fruit that reminds me of the 1995. The palate is medium-bodied with a nubile texture with supple toasty red fruit that is struck through with crisp acidity and a fine coca-tinged off-dry finish that displays persistency and a pastille-like residual sweetness. Tasted April 2012.

88 -90 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, April 2012

The grand vin, the 2011 l'Evangile exhibits a dark ruby color with purple nuances as well as noticeable acidity, a streamlined, crisp, elegant, mid-weight style, red and black fruits, light tannin and a fresh, vibrant mouthfeel. It is a blend of 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.

By the way, this 55-acre estate is now slightly larger than when the Rothschilds first acquired it as they have purchased 15 acres from La Croix de Gay.

89 -92 points,

Stephen Tanzer's IWC, May 2012

Good full, deep red. Aromatically pure nose offers scents of black cherry, blackcurrant, spices and minerals. Sweet, dense and suave if currently a bit youthfully withdrawn, conveying excellent tension and grip thanks to nicely integrated acidity. Finishes very long, with mounting, rather austere tannins. A bit forbidding today but has the stuffing to age well. The harvest occurred over the usual 15 days, but started ten days earlier than usual: the merlot was picked on September 6-7 and 13-21, and the cabernet franc between September 19 and 21.

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..

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