Château l'Evangile 1996

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Château l'Evangile 1996

Tasting

Colour
In its youth, the wine displays a very deep purple hue, which develops over time into a dark garnet.

Nose
The expressive bouquet reveals aromas of concentrated black fruit such as blackberry and blackcurrant, mingled with notes of ripe red fruit and liquorice. Subtle oaky and toasty touches of cedar, blond tobacco and cocoa complete the picture.

Palate
The palate stands out for its firm structure and well-defined tannins. Both elegant and harmonious, this wine offers a remarkable balance that stretches into a long, persistent finish.

Food and Wine Pairing
This wine pairs beautifully with full-flavoured meats such as roast rack of lamb, pigeon with porcini mushrooms or a dry-aged rib of beef. It also complements mushroom dishes and aged hard cheeses such as Comté or Ossau-Iraty.

Serving and Cellaring
To fully appreciate this 1996 vintage, serve it at a temperature of between 16 and 18°C in large glasses. Gentle aeration of no more than one hour is recommended. With remarkable ageing potential, this wine is ready to drink now but can be cellared for many years to come.

The Elegance and Depth of a Pomerol Wine

The Estate
Located in the heart of the renowned Bordeaux region, the historic Château l'Evangile estate had its name officially registered in 1798. Today, the estate extends over 22 hectares of vineyards. Acquired in 1990 by Domaines Barons de Rothschild, it is currently run by Saskia de Rothschild, with Juliette Couderc as Operations Director. The estate stands out for its commitment to the environment, reflected in its organic certification obtained in 2021 and the introduction of agroecological practices.

The Vineyard
Set on the high plateau of Pomerol, the terroir benefits from a unique mosaic of soils. Some of the vines are rooted in compact blue clay over a subsoil rich in crasse de fer, while the rest of the estate lies on deep gravel and sandy-silt soils. The vineyard is managed meticulously on an intra-plot basis and farmed under organic certification, with trees and hedges planted to promote biodiversity.

The Vintage
1996 is considered a classic year in the region, blessed with generally very favourable, almost ideal weather conditions. The growing season got off to a promising start and progressed well, apart from some rainfall in August. This rain slightly disrupted the development of the berries, calling for rigorous sorting at harvest to guarantee optimal quality.

Vinification and Ageing
This wine is crafted using a precise plot-by-plot approach, with vats sized to match the volume of each lot so that extraction can be finely controlled. The wine is then aged for around 18 months in oak barrels, the large majority of them new, adding complexity while preserving the wine's structure.

Grape Varieties
This wine is a blend dominated by Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Franc.