En Primeurs
It’s our sincere pleasure to offer you the opportunity to purchase Bordeaux we have pre-purchased from the 2021 vintage at release pricing. ‘En Primeurs’ is a unique way of buying wine from Bordeaux, France. Technically, it means buying the wine before it is bottled and released to the market. Each year in Bordeaux (~April), the whole city springs to life as wine enthusiasts from around the world gather to taste the vintage harvested the year prior, straight from the barrel (like a sneak-preview for wines!). At that time, even before bottling, the wine can be secured at a lower price to be delivered after ~2y when it has finished aging.
Estate History
The Léglise family from Libourne founded Château L’Évangile in the mid-18th century. It appeared in the 1741 land registry under the name of Fazilleau. At the turn of the 19th century, it was sold to a lawyer named Isambert who renamed it “L’Évangile”. In 1862, Paul Chaperon purchased it and his descendants, the Ducasse family, owned it until 1990. In 1990, Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) acquired L’Évangile from the Ducasse family. DBR (Lafite)’s influence included a more refined selection of the Grand Vin and the creation of Blason de L’Évangile as a second wine. Efforts were also undertaken to improve the vineyard with a restoration and partial renewal plan that was launched in 1998. The complete renovation of the vat room and the cellar was finished in 2004.
Château L’Évangile is one of three vineyards on the southeast Pomerol plateau that share a rare soil of surface gravel. It occupies a strategic position bordered by Château Pétrus to the north and separated from Cheval Blanc in Saint-Emilion to the south by a secondary road. The vineyard covers 22 hectares of sandy clay soil with pure gravel and a subsoil containing iron residues. The grape varieties consist of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Traditional techniques are used and production is limited. The vineyard is managed by Olivier Trégoat.
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.
Blend
69% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
2021 Vintage
2021 was a year marked by an Atlantic climate, in which our great early-ripening plots of gravel-clay were our best allies in the search for balance. Aromatic freshness, particularly in the Cabernet Franc, which reached a record percentage in the blend! An episode of frost in spring, with capricious weather. This first vintage to be certified organic has enabled us to make progress in the face of climatic hazards, particularly on the Merlot grapes, and to learn how to react more effectively.
Alcoholic fermentation take place in temperature-controlled concrete vats and lasted for about 10 days. Pumping over and maceration times are adjusted for each vat, according to the terroir and the maturity of the tannins. Total maceration times is between 21 and 25 days. After maceration, the wine is 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.
Ratings
97 Pts – James Suckling
“Complex and subtle aromas of black cherries, chocolate and violets with hints of nutmeg and hazelnuts that open to a medium to full body, with fine and polished tannins that integrate nicely then grow beautifully at the end. 69% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon. Better to be patient and taste after 2027.”
96 Pts – Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
“The 2021 L’Évangile is one of the triumphs of the year, especially considering L'Évangile is now farmed biodynamically. Sharply reduced yields—20 hectoliters-per-hectare versus upper 30s for the rest of the appellation—produced a deeply sensual wine. The 2021 spent 18 months in barrel, 40% new (significantly lower than in the past), with 15% of the wine aged in terracotta. Those are only details though. What is most encouraging about L'Évangile is how far the property has come in the last few years. Superb. The 2021 L'Évangile is a model of contemporary excellence. It marries classicism with modern approaches to farming and winemaking.”
