Château L’Évangile 2009 is a benchmark modern-era release from this Pomerol estate, now fully under the Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) umbrella. The wine is reported as 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged in 100% new oak, with a notably ripe profile at around 14.5–15% natural alcohol. In a warm, successful Bordeaux year, the estate appears to have turned ripeness into density without losing shape.
The critical reception is exceptional, led by two perfect scores. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate awarded 100 points and called it “an astonishing effort,” suggesting it “may be the reference point offering from this estate for decades to come.” Parker highlights a “sumptuous bouquet of caramels, black raspberry liqueur, blackberries, violets, graphite and truffles,” and describes the palate as “massive,” yet able to “combine power with precision, elegance and freshness.” He also argues for long cellaring, saying it should “keep for four decades or more.”
Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider) also gives 100 points, framing it as “bottled hedonism at its best,” with “truffles and layers of chocolate-coated plums and black cherries,” and a drinking window of 2023–2050.
Just below perfection, James Suckling scores 99, emphasizing texture and control: “very tight yet textured and sexy,” with “ultra-fine tannins,” and a finish carrying “light chocolate and burnt orange peel,” advising “another five or six years to open.” Decanter’s 98 is particularly telling on balance, noting that while 2009 could be “a little too warm for true balance in some estates,” “not here,” praising “flavours concentrated but not overly so,” and tannins “like silk.”
Wine Spectator (97) underscores structure—“tobacco and charcoal… guarding the core”—calling it “Merlot in Cabernet clothing,” while Vinous (94) points to freshness and lift, with a “fresh violet topnote,” “mineral-driven flavors,” and “lively framing acidity” carrying a long finish. Jane Anson (96) finds it “deceptively open,” but built to age, with smoky dark fruit, herbs, and cocoa-bean depth.
