You feel the density and power straight off the nose here - this is really silky, sexy and smoky wine with a ton of complex flavours combining berry fruits with spices swirling through, and finishing up with liquorice bean and coffee grounds on the finish. There’s less lift perhaps than the 2016, but you feel the concentration, the depth to the flavour, and the balance. It has a beautiful texture and feels very classically Pomerol but with elegance and persistency. A small production in 2018 but a very beautiful one. 75% new oak used. 97 points

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. pH 3.9. Inky core, deep crimson rim. Perfumed with black fruit and violets. Dense but not tough, many fine layers giving density but it`s smooth and plush nevertheless with some dark chocolate on the finish. Fruit character is dark enough to be savoury, black olive and then becoming just slightly more floral with air. Changes a lot in the glass. It`s a wine all in the future even though the tannins are smooth now. It`s quite closed in on itself but should have a long life. 17 points

The 2018 L`Evangile is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot was harvested September 19 to October 2, and the Cabernet Franc was harvested September 25 to October 1. This is the optimal blend—with more Cabernet Franc coming through this year, since it was amazing. Deep garnet-purple colored, it slips seductively out of the glass with glamorous notes of baked black cherries, warm blueberries and raspberry tart plus wafts of kirsch, red roses, rose hip tea, espresso, licorice and sandalwood. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and delivering opulent black fruit layers, the palate has a firm frame of lovely, ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Beautiful. 97-99 points

The 2018 L`Évangile is shaping up to be exceptional. Rich and sumptuous in the glass, the 2018 exudes richness in all of its dimensions. Opulent and dense in the glass, with soft curves and silky, polished tannins, the 2018 is hugely promising. All the elements just fall into place. Dark raspberry jam, cloves, menthol and new leather are some of the many notes that build in a sumptuous, racy Évangile loaded with class and personality. I can`t wait to taste it from bottle. 94-97 points

This is a blend of 80% Merlot, picked between September 19th and October 2nd, with 20% Cabernet Franc, picked from September 25th and finishing on October 1st. This takes 50% of the crop; there is usually a little more grand vin than this, but the volume of Merlot was reduced this year, forcing a shift in the distribution. The alcohol is 14.5%. Technical director Jean-Pascal Vazart would have liked more Cabernet in the blend I think, but many of the vines are young, and he recognises that these things take time; for the moment his younger Cabernet remains dedicated to the second wine. This has a beautifully pure, fragrant, black cherry and currant substance, around which there dances a perfumed ribbon of violet and peony. It feels so classic and correct, the palate just so charming, so broad and polished, with streaks of currant, black olive, black bean, toast and vanilla flower, all supported by a rich bed of ripe and firm tannins, which linger with great intention. It is so defined, so cleanly formed with pencil-drawn lines, supple yet showing great density and a sinewy substance, lifted and elegant. A barrel sample which seems wonderfully pure, fresh and defined, with not a hair out of place, and yet I see here a huge intensity and structure that will see this transform with time into a truly great L`Évangile. Broad, long and textured, this is a brilliant wine. A stunning example of the vintage and an example of how Merlot-dominant wines can also shine alongside their Cabernet-counterparts in this warmer year. 98-100 points