Big and ripe. Dark ruby-garnet color. Very ripe berry, chocolate and plum aromas. Full-bodied and chewy, with lots of tannins and a very ripe fruit finish. Tight, muscular and concentrated.
Reviews:
- Decanter: 1990 was a very good vintage, although a bit more difficult to manage than the 1989. Flowering was uneven and as crop thinning was not as widely used as today, there were some ripening difficulties. But the sharp edges of youth have softened now, leaving a rich, round sense of self, with cassis-rich fruit. Black truffle notes after five minutes in the glass. Many years of drinking pleasure still to be had.
- Wine Advocate: The nose is sultry, broody and takes time to unfurl, almost reluctantly offering up sage and black truffle infused black fruit, developing a subtle aniseed-like aroma with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine but firm tannin. It is not as charming as the 1989, sweeter in the mouth, fleshier perhaps. That initial rush of black fruit is usurped by red fruit towards the finish, laced with bay leaf and a pinch of white pepper.
Producer Information
Château l’Évangile is a wine estate based in the Pomerol appellation of Bordeaux’s so-called “right bank” – the area north of the Dordogne river encompassing Pomerol, Saint-Emilion and their satellite appellations. In keeping with the general makeup of grape varieties in this subzone, Château l’Évangile produces a Merlot-dominant wine, albeit one that is consistently among the most highly rated of the Pomerol appellation. The land was purchased by the Léglise family in the 18th Century, changing hands several times before it was purchased in 1990 by Domaines Baron de Rothschild, owner of Château Lafite Rothschild. Château l’Évangile lies in the eastern part of Pomerol, a little way south of the famed Petrus vineyard. Here, the 22-hectare (55 acre) vineyard is made up of iron-rich clay and gravel soils. This kind of soil is well-suited to Merlot, which makes up the bulk of plantings, with around a fifth (20 percent) of the vineyard dedicated to Cabernet Franc. The vines are harvested by hand and then vinified plot by plot – the vat and cellar rooms were updated in 2004 to help improve this process. After fermentation, the grand vin is aged in oak for 18 months before release. A second wine, Blason de l’Évangile, uses up grapes that are not deemed high enough quality for the top wine.
