Given the young average age of this estate's vineyards, its well-draining soils and the extreme vintage, I was a little apprehensive; but the technical team evidently took the conditions in their stride, harvesting the east-facing side of the vines (which sees the hottest afternoon sun) four days earlier. The resulting 2022 L'Evangile is beautiful, offering up aromas of raspberries, vine smoke, black truffles, violets and gravely soil. Medium to full-bodied, supple and velvety, it's seamless and polished, with a bright core of fruit and powdery tannins that temper 2022's inherent sweetness of fruit to sophisticated effect. At this early stage, it appears that the estate's progress with regards to élevage continues too, as Evangile's creamy oak signature is much released, allowing the fruit—and this superb terroir—to take center stage. It's a blend of 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Fresh, wonderfully refined and gorgeously polished and long, with very fine tannins. Medium to full body. Crunchy fruit and chocolate, hazelnut and spice. Exciting to see how this tensioned beauty will evolve. Wonderful clarity.

Beautiful depth of flavour through the palate, nuanced blackberry and damson fruits, orange peel, saffron, crayon, cassis, great quality, with flesh through the mid palate, coupled with lift on the finish, impressive. Harvest August 29 to September 14, in organic conversion, Juliette Couderc winemaker, Saskia de Rothschild owner. 28hl/h yield.

A seductive and sculpted wine, leaning into the vintage’s glamour and richness. The nose is deep and heady, filled with violets, dark chocolate, blackcurrants, and espresso. The palate is glossy and rich, with a juicy, shiny black fruit core, balanced by fine, slightly bloody tannins. There’s an undercurrent of freshness, with a minty lift and a touch of creaminess that enhances the plush texture. Toasted wood notes still need time to integrate, but this is smooth, seductive, and beautifully structured. A wine of depth, polish, and lasting finesse. Ageing 45% new oak, 10% foudre, 15% amphora. 3.88pH.

The 2022 L'Évangile is seriously impressive right out of the gate, dark, rich and enveloping. Dark-fleshed fruit, mocha, spice, leather and a kiss of new oak race across the palate. Texturally, the 2022 is gorgeous. One of the recent changes here (since the 2021 vintage) has been a reduction of wine that undergoes malolactic in barrel, from 100% down to 60-70%. More than anything, the 2022 impresses with its gorgeous inner sweetness and exceptional balance. In short, the 2022 is a classic Évangile.

The Grand Vin checks in as 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 50% new oak, 15% in amphora, 10% in foudre, and the rest in used barrels. It has another level of purity and class, with ripe red and black cherries, leafy herbs, truffle, and spice-driven aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol offering beautiful tannins, a silky, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. Hitting 14.2% alcohol, with a pH of 3.84 and an IPT of 75, this classy, balanced Pomerol shines for its purity and finesse, and it should blossom with just short-term cellaring.

The 2022 L'Evangile was picked at 30hL/ha. It is aged in 50% new oak sourced from four coopers plus two recently introduced foudres. There are similarities with neighboring Cheval Blanc on the nose as if it's holding something back in a good way. Beautifully defined, dark berry fruit, crushed stone and bay leaf aromas are succinct and not showy. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, velvety entry. There's plenty of rondeur, nicely judged acidity, pliant tannins (more than Cheval Blanc?) and pure with a dab of white pepper and clove. Classic in style. A touch of desiccated orange rind appears on the aftertaste that was apparently there during the fermentation. Very harmonious on the finish. This is a lovely, discrete Pomerol from an estate moving in the right direction - fast. 14.3% alcohol.

Density combined with elegance, this has the intensity and spice of the vintage, with an emphasis on tight black fruits, a clear reflection of the phenolic concentration of the year, slow and steady tannic construction that brings in graphite. Unusually for L'Evangile this feels almost Left Bank in character, with its 28hl/h yield (compared to 33hl/h in 2020 but with almost 20% more berries this yeer, but they were such small sizes). 3.8ph 2nd year of organic certification.

82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample. Aromatically reticent but there’s lift and a bit of freshness. Ample fruit on the palate and tannins that are smooth and long. A crunchy note adds to the persistence. Still a little wayward but élevage should help. (JL)