Château l'Evangile
The vintage
The year began with mild, rainy weather, and then gradually, as the months passed, proved to be exceptional. The winter of 2016 was the warmest and rainiest ever recorded! Bud break took place at the end of March and mid-flowering was on 5 June. The summer was hot and very dry. Fortunately, the water reserves accumulated during the winter enabled the vines not to suffer any stress, but as a result yields at Evangile were quite low for this vintage. The grapes finished ripening in September in clement weather, with a little rain and cool nights, preserving the grapes’ freshness and producing an exceptional vintage.
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
Dark, dense colour with pronounced glints of violet.
The nose is intense, deep and powerful, with notes of fresh black fruit and a subtle blend of spices and toast. On the palate, the attack is generous and full-bodied. The mid-palate is full-bodied and silky, with a balanced tannic structure. The finish is very velvety thanks to perfectly ripe tannins and the very gentle extraction during vinification.
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