Château L'Evangile 2020

Special Price $249.85 Average US Price $288.00
In Stock   Usually ships in 2-5 days, weather permitting
Only 14 left
SKU
1957-2020
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Other Vintages We Offer:

• Domaine: Château L'Evangile
• Appellation: Pomerol
• Grape Varietals: 80-90% Merlot, 10-20% Cabernet Franc
• Origin: Right Bank, Bordeaux, France

Saskia de Rothschild is the intuitive and sharp manager of the incomparable Pomerol estate, Château L’Évangile and the First Growth Château Lafite Rothschild.  She describes Château L’Évangile as  “… a house in Bordeaux situated on the famed plateau of Pomerol.  It is at the heart of this natural laboratory that the earth and the heavens bring new lessons for each vintage.” The grand vin of Château L’Evangile is considered one of the finest offerings of this Right Bank appellation, held in esteem after some top tier estates like Château Vieux Château Certan and Château Pétrus.  The wine is remarkably consistent, and fabulous vintages occurred even after the devastating frosts in 1956. 
 
Château L’Évangile was one of the first vineyards to be planted in Pomerol.  It was founded by the Léglise family from Libourne in 1741.  The property’s name at the time was Domaine de Fazilleau.  Right around the turn of the 19th Century, the property was purchased by a lawyer who named the estate L’Évangile. Eventually Château L’Évangile would be acquired by the prestigious Ducasse family, who were the owners of the estate until 1990.  That year, 70 percent of the stake was sold to Lafite Rothschild.  Funnily enough, the Rothschilds wanted to make some changes at the estate – like adding new oak barrels.  Madame Ducasse, the owner of the remaining 30 percent of shares, was reluctant to this decision as new oak barrels are very expensive.  She turned a blind eye, however, when the Rothschilds began sneaking new oak barrels into the barrel room late at night without presenting her with the bill.  Eventually in 2004, Domaine Barons de Rothschild paid for an extensive renovation of the cellars which finished just before the legendary 2005 vintage.
 
Château L’Évangile has some incredible terroir.  A mosaic of only the best soils grace the vineyards of this special place.  The property is next door to esteemed estates like Château La Conseillante, Château Pétrus, and Château Cheval Blanc.  A tiny dirt road is the only barrier separating Château L’Évangile from the Right Bank region of Saint-Émilion.  In terms of soil, this 22 hectare property has a mixture of sandy clay soil with gravel and a small portion of the rare and special blue clay that is so famously associated with Château Pétrus.  The vineyard is managed by Oliver Trégoat, the technical director of Château Rieussec.  Interestingly enough, the Rothschilds began planting some Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the more graveled portions of the vineyard.  They first incorporated Cabernet Sauvignon in the 2019 vintage.  Everything is harvested by hand and the mixture of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon vines are fermented based on their original plots in cement vats.  After this happens, the grand vin is aged in 70 percent new French oak for 18 months.  The resulting wine is a simply stunning expression of Pomerol that needs a bit of time for its potential to unfold.  The wine is opulent, and since the 2000s, quality has been at a higher standard than ever before.    

Tasting Notes

"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 L'Evangile rolls effortlessly out of the glass with notions of mulberries, black raspberries and stewed red and black plums, plus suggestions of Indian spices, dusty soil and violets with a touch of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate possesses compelling freshness and a fine-grained texture to support the muscular black and red fruits, finishing long and earthy.

This 2020 blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc has an alcohol of 14.5% and a pH of 3.8." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (5/20/2021), Rating: 96-98, Drink: 2026-2050

"Described as a new age for l’Evangile by the estate, their 2020 Château L'Evangile showed beautifully, with the pure, elegant yet still ripe, beautifully concentrated style of the estate these days. Rocking levels of crème de cassis, black cherries, blueberries, graphite, and violets all emerge from the glass, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a terrific sense of purity, present, ripe yet firm tannins, and a great finish. It's a promising, elegant yet at the same time powerful 2020 that's going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20-25 years or more. The blend is 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, all raised in 60% new French oak." Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2020: En Primeur - Part 1 (05/23/2021) Rating: 95-97

"The sculpting of L'Evangile that began over the past few vintages continues, and the 2020 is a gorgeous wine. Pristine fruit, silky with a whoosh of menthol. It elevates over the palate, both dense and light, with blueberry and raspberry fruits, and pulses of bitter almond and honeysuckle on the finish that gives focus and spice. Juliette Couderc joined L'Evangile (from DBR Lafite's Long Dai winery) in September 2020 so for the harvest of this wine, working alongside technical director Olivier Tregoat. 50% first wine, with no Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend this year because it was so over-concentrated that it made too much impact. Increased selective harvesting meant going through vineyard plots six times to bring in the grapes as they ripened. A yield of 32hl/ha. In the final year of organic conversion, so this next vintage 2021 will be certified." Jane Anson, Best Pomerol 2020 Wines Tasted En Primeur (04/30/2021) Rating: 98 Drink: 2028-2050

"The 2020 L'Évangile is fabulous. Aromatic, deep and fleshy, with magnificent purity of fruit, L'Évangile dazzles right out of the gate. Bright Franc aromatics add striking lift as well as vibrancy that carries through to the long, delineated finish. There is an energy to the 2020 that is palpable. Harvest for the Merlot began on September 3, ahead of a heat wave that was forecast, and wrapped up on the 14th for the Merlot and the 21st for the Franc. That approach worked so well here. In the past, L'Évangile and Lafite-Rothschild were very different stylistically, but that seems to be changing now that Saskia de Rothschild is spending a great deal of her time in Pomerol with the new winemaking team. The estate, certified biodynamic as of 2021, has been pursuing a more refined approach for a few years, but 2020 is the first recent vintage where the personality of the year seems to have aligned especially well with the current thinking here. The 2020 L'Évangile is easily the most Lafite-like L'Évangile I have ever tasted. Don't miss it!" Antonio Galloni, Vinous (June 2021) Rating: 95-97

More Information
Stock Status In Stock
Appellation Pomerol
Vintage 2020
Brand Château l'Evangile
Shipping Weight 3.000000

Pomerol is one of the most prestigious wine appellations in the Bordeaux region of France. Located on the Right Bank of the Dordogne River, in its earlier history, the area was primarily engaged in mixed agriculture. It was home to many apple (“pommes,” in French) orchards that gave the name to the appellation. Its origins date back to the Knights Hospitallers, symbolized by the Pomerol Cross, and it flourished even amidst challenges like the Hundred Years' War. Proximity to the river port at Libourne facilitated exports, and post-World War II investments from French and Belgian investors contributed to its global acclaim. 

What sets Pomerol apart is its unique terroir, which includes both clay and gravel, distinguishing it from the traditional clay and limestone composition of Bordeaux's right bank. Merlot dominates, constituting 80% of the plantings, and thrives in the iron-rich clay subsoil called "crasse de fer" and its core of sticky blue clay, imparting distinct character and aging potential to Pomerol wines. 

Some of Pomerol's most prominent châteaux include Pétrus, Château La Fleur-Pétrus, Le Pin, Château Trotanoy, Château La Conseillante, Château Clinet, Château L'Eglise Clinet, Château Gazin, Château L'Evangile, Clos du Clocher, and Vieux Château Certan. Pomerol lacks an official classification system; instead, the reputation and quality of châteaux are based on historical performance. Unlike neighboring Saint-Emilion, the appellation exclusively produces red wine, while its white wines remain unclassified. 

Pomerol wines are known for their elegance, full body, and lush character, with dark fruit flavors, smooth tannins, and aging potential. While some can be enjoyed in youth, top wines can age gracefully for several decades, developing complexity and character over time.

Footnotes on Futures, Pre-Arrivals, and potential US Tariffs: 

1. As of June 15, 2021, the US and the EU agreed to suspend tariffs resulting from the Boeing-Airbus aircraft trade disputes. Accordingly, such import taxes are now suspended for the next five years.

2. Futures are expected to be available for delivery two years after the sales (e.g., the 2022 vintage, sold in 2023, will be delivered in 2025 mostly, or 2026 if the producer ages the wine longer).

3. Pre-Arrivals are items currently stored in our Bordeaux cellar or in transit from France to the US. It usually takes 1-6 months for Pre-Arrivals to become available for delivery, depending on the stage of the import process.

4. Regarding futures and pre-arrivals, we cannot guarantee specific delivery dates, which factors beyond our control may impact. However, we will notify you once your wine arrives in our cellar.

5. While a buyer of Bordeaux wine futures locks in an allocation of the specified items, the final delivery of the purchased items from France to the US may be impacted by intervening and unforeseeable events. Despite our due diligence, additional costs or delays may be caused by such intervening and unforeseen events and "an irresistible, superhuman cause, or by the act of public enemies of the state of California or the United States."  In such circumstances, if a buyer does not accept unforeseeable costs or delays, the sole and exclusive remedy is a cancellation of the futures order concerned and a refund of the original purchase price. We are NOT liable for any lost profits on a canceled order.

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