Château l'Evangile
The vintage
2013 was a complex year that generated a great deal of work in both the vineyard and the winery! The beginning of the year was cold and wet, resulting in a mixed flowering and significant quantitative losses due to flower abortion and uneven grape size. The summer then arrived with very high temperatures (over 43°C) and their natural consequence, i.e. very violent thunderstorms, that fortunately did not cause any damage to our vines. The grapes progressed very quickly, developing density. From the end of first week of September, the variable weather returned, with a mixture of very fine warm periods and rain storms.
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
Intense, deep colour with pronounced glints of violet. Very expressive nose of dark berries (blackcurrants) with fresh and toasted notes. On the palate, the attack is delicate and silky, with an elegant, full-bodied tannic structure. The palate is dense, due to the grapes reaching an excellent degree of ripeness, and very velvety thanks to the mature, well-integrated tannins. Lingering fruity notes on the finish. A fine expression of the characteristic elegance and texture of the tannins from Evangile's Merlot.
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