Château l'Evangile 2006

The sexy, dark ruby/purple-tinged 2006 l’Evangile achieved 14% natural alcohol, as high as any of the great vintages at this estate. Abundant amounts of dark raspberry and black cherry fruit intertwined with sweet plums and hints of figs as well as spring flowers jump from the glass of this medium to full-bodied, fleshy, supple-textured, silky wine. Drink it now or cellar it for 15-20 years.

Displays blackberry and earth, with a mushroom undertone. Full-bodied, with pleasant fruit and a medium finish. Tight. Needs to come together. A little disappointing after such an amazing 2005. Best after 2014. 2,900 cases made.

A big, rich chocolaty wine with delicious spice and ripe tannins. The fruit is sumptuously rich, blackberry juice flavors balancing the power and concentration of the texture. In all this richness, there is just enough freshness to lift the finish.

Blackish purple. Appealingly smooth and fresh wthout being the most original wine in this afternoon's collection of right bank wines. Lots of pleasure. This is the sort of wine I expect Clinet to produce – super smooth and flattering, (JR)

Bright ruby-red. Reduced, wild nose offers black raspberry, graphite, tobacco and dried flowers. Sweet, dense and deep, with a lush texture for the year and a chocolatey ripeness to the flavors of leather, game and cedar. For such a pliant, sexy Pomerol, this has lovely verve and backbone.

Powerful deep, dark and almost brooding, this is still quite young and tannic. There is a lot of ripe, fresh fruit, with loads of truffles, but you need to get past the muscular tannins first. Give it another decade and this should be a beauty.

Medium garnet with a ruby rim. Wonderful gingerbread bouquet, speculoos biscuits, licorice, musk, Irish moss, subtly spicy. On the palate, elegant, showing medium concentration, black tea notes, good muscle, a fine bitter touch in the extract, gently firm tannins that still need time, considerable potential, and plenty of lingering flavor. Aromatically, it recalls the great old vintages of Cheval Blanc. It still has to prove it can live up to the score.

86% Merlot, 14% Caberent Franc. Medium garnet with a ruby rim. Wonderful gingerbread bouquet, speculoos biscuits, liquorice, musk and Irish moss, with fine spicy notes. Elegant on the palate, showing medium concentration, with black tea aromas, a nicely muscular structure, a subtle bitter note in the extract, and gently austere tannins that still need time. Considerable potential, with lots of aromatic persistence. Like Cheval Blanc, it is reminiscent aromatically of the great vintages of the past. It still needs to prove it can live up to its score.

Fruity, sweet, velvety, full bouquet with notes of rock candy, licorice, mocha, chocolate and dried fruits. Velvety, sweet, soft, elegant, fresh palate with good fruit, plenty of fine tannin, an elegant, silky structure and very rich, full aromatics. Very long, refined finish. 18/20 2014 - 2030

The score has risen sharply since the en primeur tastings. This tasting took place when the wine was already bottled. Let me point out that this is one of the first years in which all of the estate’s Cabernet Franc—14%—was included in the final blend. The wine shows a deep, intense dark red colour. The nose stands out for its very aromatic character, ripe with a finely toasty edge. The attack on the palate offers a beautiful texture. The wine unfolds with aromatic richness, roundness and a creamy feel. Above all, from mid-palate onwards it tightens its weave and displays great, melting length, with flavours of liquorice and violet and fine tannins. A real success for the vintage, with plenty of density for the year.