Château L´Evangile 2014

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Thanks to a mild, rainy winter, the vines’ growth cycle started two weeks earlier than the average for Bordeaux and bud break was in mid-March, which is unusual. A warm April was followed by a cool, wet May with occasional spikes of heat. Flowering at the beginning of June was very satisfactory and promised an early, high quality vintage. Alternating periods of rain and warmth then slowed growth and much of the advance was lost; July was cold and wet, August was cloudy and fairly cool. From the end of August, the region experienced an “Indian summer” with hot, dry weather until the end of October. It was the warmest September recorded for nearly a century…
As a result, the grapes were able to ripen gradually during September and October in the unusually mild conditions and the harvest was of excellent quality.

TASTING NOTES (AT BOTTLING):

Deep, dark colour with hints of violet. Very intense nose with dark berries (Morello cherries, blackcurrants) and fresh notes of mocha and toast. On the palate, the attack is powerful, dense and structured.  The mid-palate is silky, with a powerful, balanced tannic structure. The finish is dense and very velvety, thanks to the coated, well-ripened tannins: an excellent vintage.

The Léglise family from Libourne founded what is now Château L’Evangile. They were actively involved, around the middle of the 18th century, in building the Pomerol vineyard. L’Evangile appeared in the 1741 land registry under the name of Fazilleau.

At the turn of the 19th century, the estate already had much of its current configuration, stretching over some 13 hectares, when it was sold to a lawyer named Isambert. He renamed the estate “L’Evangile”. In 1862, L’Evangile was purchased by Paul Chaperon, whose descendants, the Ducasse family, remained the property’s owners until 1990. Paul Chaperon went on making the estate becoming famous, and constructed the L’Evangile in the style of the Second Empire. In the second edition of Cocks Féret in 1868, L’Evangile is registered and is considered as a “Premier Cru du Haut-Pomerol”.

Upon the death of Paul Chaperon around 1900, his descendants ran the estate until Louis Ducasse took over the property, which was then in decline and damaged by the frosts of 1956. He put forth great efforts in renewing the vineyard and restoring the L’Evangile name. In 1982, his widow, Simone Ducasse, continued the family’s role in running the estate.

In 1990, Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) acquired L’Evangile from the Ducasse family. DBR was interested in bringing sustained care to the operation. DBR’s initial influence included a more refined selection of the fine wines, and the creation of Blason de L’Evangile as a second wine. Efforts also included enhancing the vines’ health with a restoration and renewal plan partially completed until 1998. The complete renovation of the vat room and the cellar which was finished in 2004 allowed the property to complete its new configuration.

The estate occupies a very strategic position. It is bordered to the north by the vineyards of Château Pétrus, and is separated from Cheval Blanc in Saint-Emilion to the south by nothing more than a secondary road.

The surface area is of 16 hectares composed of sandy clay soils with pure stones, with the bedrock featuring iron oxide. The grape varieties are made up of Merlot (80%) which contributes to the fruity flavour and body, as well as the unmistakable suppleness; Bouchet, the local name of Cabernet Franc is included (20%) for its finesse. Traditional techniques are used. Production is limited and harvesting and other work carried out throughout the year is done manually.

The vineyard is managed by the Director of the Domaines Charles Chevallier, assisted by Operations Manager Jean Pascal Vazart.