Château l'Evangile
The vintage
The 1998 vintage was characterized by high temperatures and not very much rain.
The véraison (when the grapes change colour) took place in August in record heat with temperatures of over 30°C.
Fortunately, some very welcome showers at the beginning of September enabled the grapes to reach an exceptional degree of ripeness.
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
La fermentation alcoolique s’est déroulée dans des cuves en ciment à 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
Deep garnet colour.
The nose presents fruity, spicy notes mingled with oaky aromas. On the palate, the attack is powerful, silky and dense with fine, polished tannins. The finish is exceptionally long. This vintage remains a benchmark in Pomerol due to its precision and balance.
Alcohol content
13
Grapes
Merlot
: 72 %
Cabernet franc
: 28 %