2010 Château l'Évangile

I tasted two vintages of L'Evangile at separate events while in Australia this year, both the 2010 in Melbourne and the 2011 in Sydney. A tough choice, but I think I am going to have to go with the 2010, although both are showing beautifully right now. This one just sums up the torrefied, gunsmoke and crushed roses seduction of L'Evangile, with velvety tannins that speak to the appellation even in tannic-rich vintages like 2010. Plenty of fruits also, from blueberry and black cherry to pomegranate and mandarin. Exceptional. 31hl/h, 3.67ph, 77% of crop into first wine.

The 2010 L’Évangile is a Pomerol that I have rated highly in the past, however this bottle performed poorly. It feels slightly oxidised on the nose and is lacking the freshness of its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and well judged acidity. It feels quite ferrous and slightly dry towards the finish, suggesting that this might not last the course. I will defer scoring this for another time. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 L'Evangile strides confidently out of the glass with notes of chocolate-covered cherries, vanilla pod, sweaty leather and baked plums plus hints of tobacco leaf and cinnamon stick. Full-bodied, the generously fruited palate has a lovely, plush frame with oodles of freshness and a spicy kick to the finish.