Château l'Evangile
The vintage
A complex year with a lot of ups and downs! The beginning of the year was difficult with periods of intense cold and humidity, resulting in a mixed flowering and significant losses in terms of yields. The beginning and the middle of the summer saw some fine sunny periods but also brought high levels of humidity. Fortunately, conditions in August and September were excellent which enabled the grapes to ripen very satisfactorily, and to present good potential. Due to rain, the harvest was spread over three weeks; this was unusual, but ultimately gave satisfactory results.
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 took place in temperature-controlled concrete vats and lasted for about 10 days. Pumping over and maceration times were adjusted for each vat, according to the terroir and the maturity of the tannins. Total maceration times were of 27 days on average for the merlot and 28 days for the cabernet franc. After maceration, the wine was 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
Deep, dark colour with hints of violet. Very fruity nose with dark berries (Morello cherries, blackcurrants) and fresh notes of mocha and toast. On the palate, the attack is refined and silky, with a powerful, balanced tannic structure. The texture is dense and very velvety thanks to the ripe, well-coated tannins. The finish is long with fruity notes, but is dominated by the quality of the tannins.
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