Chateau l´Evangile 2005

JAMES SUCKLING: "The classicism in this L'Evangile has always seduced me with its subtle brown sugar, black olive, cedar, black truffle and dark fruit. Full body yet tight and extremely polished. Very layered and fine-grain textured. A perfect example of Pomerol. Always a perfect wine. Just opening now."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Dark in color, almost purple black, with pure tapenade and hints of ripe plum and berry. Full-bodied, with layer upon layer of velvety tannins and chocolate, berry, vanilla and tea flavors. Lasts for minutes. I am blown away by this wine. This has been amazing since the moment I tasted it from barrel. Reminds me of the superb 1950. Best after 2015. 3,500 cases made. —"

DECANTER: "85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 70% new oak. A nearperfect growing season, and this approaches perfection as it glides across the palate, with sweet fig and torrefied notes, salted caramel and saline. Utterly gorgeous. Could be drunk with huge pleasure right now – with an amazing balance and feather-like expression that lifts the whole thing up – but there’s no rush."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Truffle, wet earth, plum liqueur and dark chocolate get things started. Full bodied and concentrated, this is starting to show its true self. The fruit blends intensity, richness and silky tannins. There is length, balance and freshness. The harvest took place from September 8 to September 26. The wine was made from a blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc. The wine is 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.65. 77% of the harvest was used to create the Grand Vin."

WEINWISSER: "Tiefes Granat mit lila und violettem Schimmer. Elegantes, feingliedriges Bouquet, eher diskret zu Beginn, schwarze Beeren zeigend, Lakritze, Edelhölzer, Tabak und Trüffelnuancen, irgendwie noch zurückhaltend, aber doch eine vielversprechende Tiefe mit sich bringend. Schöner Gaumenfluss, harmonisch, gebunden, von den reifen, geschmeidigen Tanninen geformt, mit einer nonchalanten Art cremig im Fluss, aufgrund der Reife und der Fülle der Tannine eine delikate Süsse ausstrahlend. Es gab zwar schon Evangiles, die an den Primeurproben mehr zeigten, aber der 2005er ist das perfekteste «Exemplar» aus der neueren Zeit. Der grosse Liebling unter den Degustatoren."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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?"

JANCIS ROBINSON: "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."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "The Pomerol estate of the Rothschilds of Lafite shows the power of Merlot in 2005, the almost indecent richness of the fruit. It's an opulent, layered wine, spicy, woody and powered though by delicious fruit, ending open and generous."