EVANGILE 2009

I love the aromas of black olive and blueberry, with mineral and light mint. Full-bodied, with supervelvety tannins. Superlong. This is dense and very beautiful, with such a great core of fruit. Silky texture. Not sure it is going to be better than 2005 (100 pointer!) but super.

(95% merlot with 5% cabernet franc; cropped at 39 hectoliters per hectare; 14.5% alcohol, pH 3.72; 80 IPT Deep purple-ruby. Intense aromas of smoky black plum, blackberry liqueur, violets and coffee. Enters very rich and dense, showing an ultra-creamy texture to the highly concentrated flavors of blackberry jam, coffee liqueur and milk chocolate. Lively, balanced acids keep this from going over the top, and extend the flavors on the long, captivating finish. The densest, richest young L'Evangile I can remember though a touch more finesse wouldn't have hurt it any. The property of the Ducasse family since 1862, it is now part of the Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) wine empire.

The purity of fruit in this is spellbinding now with blackberry and...

The prodigious 2009 l'Evangile may be the greatest wine made at this estate during my 30+ years oftasting Bordeaux. Amazingly, this cuvee is aged in 100% new oak barrels, yet no oak is present in the aromas or flavors. Readers should think of it as a better, richer, fuller, more alcoholic version of the 1982 l'Evangile. Dense, full-bodied, and opaque purple-hued, it boasts anextraordinary bouquet of spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, and boysenberries. A blue and black mountain fruit character suggests coolness, but an intensity and voluptuous texture present the paradox of 2009. The wine has all the characteristics of a hot vintage in terms of power, texture, and richness as well as elements of a cool vintage in its precision, elegance, freshness, and vibrancy. Make no mistake about it, this is an enormous wine that is incredible to taste. This wine should drink well for 30-40 years. Bravo! Drink: 2010 - 2050