Château l'Evangile
The vintage
2011 was characterized by a very dry winter and start to the spring. Barely 150 mm of rain during the first five months of the year: a record! High temperatures in April, May and June caused the vines to grow very quickly, resulting in the first flowers appearing exceptionally early, in early May!
A cooler July gave the vines a chance to rest a little before an exceptionally hot August (with an average temperature of 31°C for the month). The grapes were harvested two weeks earlier than usual, and were of excellent quality with superb tannins.
The Merlot was rich and dense, but the low rainfall during the summer seriously reduced yields. The Cabernet grapes were small, with thick skins, but of very good 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 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
Dense, intense colour with hints of violet. Powerful, lingering, expressive, very ripe, concentrated nose, with notes of Morello cherries and blackcurrants. The attack is dense and concentrated with very ripe, powerful tannins. The palate is mature, rich and smooth with a silky finish that is highlighted by the very high quality tannins.
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