Château L'Évangile
The vintage
The year started early with some threats of frost that did not significantly impact the growth cycle. The spring was then rather wet with periods of heavy rain until mid-June, enabling the vines to maintain steady growth. However, one of the vintage’s defining characteristics was the intense dryness over the summer months, fortunately punctuated by a stormy spell from 12 to 16 August which brought 35 mm of rain and helped the véraison, when the grapes start ripening. The hot weather during the harvest period meant that we could pick our grapes early, in excellent health and with optimum phenolic maturity. Heat waves on 4 and 12-16 September led to the harvesting of all the plots in this narrow window, resulting in excellent, uniform quality.
Location
The Pomerol appellation stretches on a plateau on the right bank of the Dordogne river, about 40km north east of Bordeaux. In Pomerol, merlot is king. The characteristics of Pomerol’s clay soil give to this varietal an expression like nowhere else in the world.
Terroir
L’Evangile’s vineyard covers 22 hectares at the heart of the Pomerol plateau, sharing the appellation’s best terroirs with two other prestigious properties. Here, through a mystery of geology, the heavy green clay soils are covered by a bed of gravel. These high quality soils are the source of the estate’s great merlot, and the secret of Chateau l’Evangile’s extraordinary power and depth.
Winemaking
Alcoholic fermentation take place in temperature-controlled concrete vats and lasted for about 10 days. Pumping over and maceration times are adjusted for each vat, according to the terroir and the maturity of the tannins. Total maceration times is between 21 and 25 days. After maceration, the wine is transferred in new oak barrels for the malolactic fermentation, followed by 18 months of ageing. The barrels are made by the Tonnellerie des Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) in Pauillac.
Grapes
Tasting
The initial notes offer a blend of resinous woods, especially cedar, accompanied by dark fruit such as blueberries. The palate is full-bodied and dense with good concentration on the finish, the ripe, elegant tannins ensuring a silky, voluptuous texture. Overall, the wine is characterized by superb complexity, qualifying it as a vintage of excellent quality.
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