Château l'Evangile
The vintage
The 2005 vintage will be remembered for its exceptional weather conditions hardly ever witnessed in the region. Spring was warm, the drought early and July, August and September gave the grapes ideal rich sugar and polyphenol levels. A great vintage was born.
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.
Tasting
The wine exhibits a dark colour. The nose is intense with blackberry and fresh blackcurrants. Spicy, grilled and truffle notes develop after the array of flavours found on the attack.
A dense, ample and elegant structure. Delicate ripe tannins although powerful fill the palate enhancing the balance of the wine. Truffle notes and cocoa accompany the finish.
Alcohol content
14
Grapes
Merlot
: 87 %
Cabernet franc
: 13 %