Château L'Évangile

The vintage

2003 vintage was marked by exceptional heat wave conditions in the first fortnight of August, when temperatures exceeding 40°C. This was coupled with low rainfall throughout the vegetative cycle. The ripening process was halted during summer leading to an early harvest with very low yields.
The harvests took place from 1 to 8 September for the Merlot and from 9 to 11 September for the Cabernet Franc – exceptionally early for Pomerol.

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 17 months of ageing. The barrels are made by the Tonnellerie des Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) in Pauillac.

Tasting

The wine is fresh and delicate.
The solid backbone of fine, firm tannins with notes of fig and violet, are in perfect harmony in this silky wine made for ageing.

Alcohol content

Grapes

Merlot : 79 %
Cabernet franc : 21 %

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