Winemaker Notes
In the heart of Saint-Estèphe, Château Lilian Ladouys cultivates the art of a wine that is generous, refined, and resolutely approachable. Nurtured by an exceptional terroir and a respectful approach to nature, it captivates with its freshness, finesse, and immediate charm. An inviting estate, a sincere wine, ready to be discovered without delay.
Blend: 86% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The aromas of blackberries, black olives and hints of tobacco and dried fruit are fascinating and enticing. It’s medium- to full-bodied with creamy and polished tannins and a savory finish. Turns refined and focused after the layered fruit. Classic in character, with a caressing texture and balance. Hints of ripe fruit and freshness at the same time. 86% merlot, 13% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon.
Barrel Sample: 97-98 -
Vinous
The 2025 L'Évangile has been given new impetus by winemaker Juliette Couderc. It is initially backward, but it really comes forth with a few swirls of the glass: black cherries, mint and juniper berries, just a hint of truffle, quite vibrant and vivacious. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, a fine bead of acidity, superb minéralité, as if there were a bit of limestone soil, but there is none. Very saline on the aftertaste with impressive length. This is a marvellous L'Évangile given the growing season, and it seems imbued with so much personality. –Neal Martin
Barrel Sample: 96-98 -
Jeb Dunnuck
A Merlot-heavy blend of 86% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon harvested between August 26th and September 15th, the 2025 Château L'Evangile will spend time in 40% new barrels, 40% foudre, 5% amphora, and the rest in once-used barrels. It has lots of cassis and juicy cherry fruit intermixed with graphite, lead pencil, violets, and classy oak on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, focused mouthfeel, fine tannins, and outstanding length. Checking in at 13.7% alcohol with a pH of 3.75, it's a serious, concentrated 2025 that brings considerable structure, remarkable purity, and a great finish.
Barrel Sample: 95-97+ -
Decanter
Nice plump roundness on the palate with a touch of strawberry acidity to bring some life and lift. Quite serious, fine tannins, a cool crisp, blue fruit edge with a lot of liquorice and wet stone aspects – a mineral, salty, spiced grip on the finish. I like the frame, not too heavy but it’s still quite tight. I don’t find the density of 2022 or 2023 but there’s definitely charm on offer in a cool, serious way right now with a hint of gloss. Ageing 5% amphora. 40% foudre. 45% new oak. 10% used barrels. 3,7pH. A yield of 22hl/ha.
Barrel Sample: 96 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2025 L'Evangile is showing well, bursting with aromas of sweet cherries, dark berries, spices and licorice, framed by nicely integrated oak. On the palate, it's medium- to full-bodied, with a rather rich, powerful profile, built around ripe but youthfully structuring tannins. It's a blend of 87% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, some 40% of which is being matured in foudre. The vintage conditions, which produced very small berries (as little as 0.6 grams for Cabernet Franc growing on gravel), have delivered an Evangile of unusual density.
Barrel Sample: 93-95
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A source of exceptionally sensual and glamorous red wines, Pomerol is actually a rather small appellation in an unassuming countryside. It sits on a plateau immediately northeast of the city of Libourne on the right bank of the Dordogne River. Pomerol and St-Émilion are the stars of what is referred to as Right Bank Bordeaux: Merlot-dominant red blends completed by various amounts of Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon. While Pomerol has no official classification system, its best wines are some of the world’s most sought after.
Historically Pomerol attached itself to the larger and more picturesque neighboring region of St-Émilion until the late 1800s when discerning French consumers began to recognize the quality and distinction of Pomerol on its own. Its popularity spread to northern Europe in the early 1900s.
After some notable vintages of the 1940s, the Pomerol producer, Petrus, began to achieve great international attention and brought widespread recognition to the appellation. Its subsequent distribution by the successful Libourne merchant, Jean-Pierre Mouiex, magnified Pomerol's fame after the Second World War.
Perfect for Merlot, the soils of Pomerol—clay on top of well-drained subsoil—help to create wines capable of displaying an unprecedented concentration of color and flavor.
The best Pomerol wines will be intensely hued, with qualities of fresh wild berries, dried fig or concentrated black plum preserves. Aromas may be of forest floor, sifted cocoa powder, anise, exotic spice or toasted sugar and will have a silky, smooth but intense texture.