In the running for the most opulent, sensationally textured, massive wine in the vintage is the 2015 L'Evangile and if tasting this beauty doesn’t make your heart rate increase, I don’t know what will. Made from 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc brought up in plenty of new oak, its ruby/plum color is followed by an awesome bouquet of blackberry jam, smoked meats, licorice, truffle, and hints of chocolate. Thick, opulent, super ripe, and decadent, with a full-bodied mouthfeel that needs to be tasted to be believed, it still stays balanced and fresh on the palate and is already impossible to resist. It’s going to keep for 3+ decades. This is one of those wines I wish every reader could taste!

Dark and dense, with a brooding personality, offering a mix of warm tobacco, espresso, dark earth, well-steeped black currant and fig fruit flavors. Finishes with a broad loamy swath of fruit and tobacco, showing a strong echo of mocha and tar. This packs some serious punch. Best from 2024 through 2040.

One of the highlights of the year, the 2015 L'Évangile is deep, powerful and intense, with remarkable concentration and plenty of power. Dark fruit, exotic spice and new leather are all pushed forward. A dramatic, towering wine, the 2015 is endowed with real density, big, but creamy tannins and exceptional balance, especially for a wine of its size. The blend is 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc, brought in between September 15 and October 5, and September 29 and October 6 respectively. Seventy percent of the production went into the Grand Vin, which is aging in 100% new oak. The 2015 is a powerhouse that will need considerable bottle age to be at its best.

The 2015 L'Evangile is composed of 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc and was matured for 18 months in new oak barrels from Tonnellerie des Domaines (their own cooperage). Deep garnet-purple in color, it absolutely leaps from the glass with complex, gregarious notes of blackberry pie, plum preserves, smoked meats/charcuterie, mocha and licorice plus suggestions of cloves, black soil and unsmoked cigars. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and jaw-droppingly sexy, it has beautifully plush yet firm tannins with a lively backbone and a very long, spicy finish.