2020 Château l'Évangile

The 2020 L'Évangile has a riper nose than the Clos l'Eglise: blackberry, wild strawberry and floral notes of rose petal and iris flower. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, well balanced and fleshy, yet there is backbone here. Nicely focused and harmonious toward the finish, this is a lovely Pomerol that should age with style in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

The 2020 L'Evangile was picked quite early, as the estate's rather young vines were suffering in the dry conditions, and the decision appears to have been judicious, as the wine has turned out very well. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums, vine smoke and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with velvety tannins and an elegant, harmonious profile that avoids any excess.

The Grand Vin 2020 Château L'Evangile checks in as 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, all of which was brought up in 50% new French oak, with 8% in amphora. Awesome notes of ripe black fruits, darker cherries, chocolate, spicy oak, and smoked tobacco define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a seamless, elegant, perfectly balanced mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a great finish. It's not massive yet shows the classic, balanced, elegant style of this estate today beautifully. Hide bottles for 5-7 years (it already offers pleasure) and drink this incredibly classy Pomerol over the following 30 years. It's pure class.