Château L'Évangile

The Léglise family, originally from Libourne, is at the origin of Château L'Évangile; in the middle of the 18th century the family took part in the creation of the Pomerol vineyard, and the estate appears on the 1741 land registers under the name Fazilleau. At the turn of the 19th century, with an area of about 13 hectares, it was sold to a lawyer named Isambert, who gave it the name L'Évangile. Paul Chaperon bought the estate in 1862, established its reputation and had its Second Empire style residence built. From the second edition of Cocks Féret, in 1868, L'Évangile was listed as a "Premier Cru du Haut-Pomerol". Chaperon's heirs, the Ducasse family, remained owners until 1990. Louis Ducasse took over in 1957, after the frosts of the previous year had severely affected the property, and from 1982 Simone Ducasse ensured the family's continuity. In 1990 she chose Baron Eric de Rothschild as her successor, and Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) acquired the estate.

• 1741: the estate appears on the land registers under the name Fazilleau.
• Turn of the 19th century: sold to the lawyer Isambert, who named it L'Évangile.
• 1862: bought by Paul Chaperon; his heirs, the Ducasse family, remained owners until 1990.
• 1990: acquired by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite).

Since 2020, Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) has entrusted the management of the estate to Juliette Couderc. The 2020 vintage brought a new winemaking team of Juliette Couderc and Olivier Trégoat, with Couderc coming from Long Dai, the group's estate in China. Juliette Couderc was technical director of Château L'Évangile. At group level, Saskia de Rothschild took over Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) in 2018 from her father, Baron Eric de Rothschild.

• Estate management: Juliette Couderc, since 2020.
• Technical director: Juliette Couderc.
• 2020: new winemaking team of Juliette Couderc and Olivier Trégoat; Couderc came from Long Dai, the group's estate in China.
• 2018: Saskia de Rothschild took over Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) from her father, Baron Eric de Rothschild.

The vineyard lies on a plateau in the south-east of Pomerol, on a long line of gravel brought to the surface there, a rare soil. It is bordered to the north by the vines of Château Pétrus and separated from Cheval Blanc in Saint-Emilion, to the south, by a small road. Its 22 hectares are divided into 43 plots, named for their surroundings (Maison, Cuvier), their locality (Catusseau, Chantecaille, Jean Faure) or their configuration (La Pointe). The land has three major terroir units: pelosols with swelling clays at the top of the plateau, soils with a gravel-clay to gravel-sand texture, and, in the lower part, soils with a predominantly sandy texture. On the estate's plateau, heavy green clay soils are covered by a bed of gravel. The vineyard is planted mainly with Merlot (79%), with Cabernet Franc (20%) and a little Cabernet Sauvignon (1%). The plots are largely grassed over, and the property has beehives and 2 km of hedges.

• 22 hectares in 43 plots, including Maison, Cuvier, Catusseau, Chantecaille, Jean Faure and La Pointe.
• Bordered by Château Pétrus to the north; a small road separates it from Cheval Blanc to the south.
• Three terroir units: swelling-clay pelosols at the top of the plateau, gravel-clay to gravel-sand soils, and predominantly sandy soils in the lower part.
• Planted to 79% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Château L'Évangile is the first Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) estate to use organic farming methods, and all its vines have been replanted. The 2020 vintage was its first certified organic vintage. As of June 2022, L'Évangile was already certified organic while the group's other French estates were in conversion. The estate also carries out biodynamic experiments and has reorganised the vineyard to encourage biodiversity. Its adaptations to global warming range from late pruning of the most frost-sensitive plots to optimising leaf surface area to better manage water stress, and 5 hives have been installed on site.

• First Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) estate to use organic farming methods.
• 2020: first certified organic vintage.
• Biodynamic experiments, largely grassed plots, 2 km of hedges and 5 hives on site.
• Climate adaptations include late pruning of the most frost-sensitive plots and optimised leaf surface area.

For the 2022 Château L'Évangile, alcoholic fermentation took place in temperature-controlled concrete vats and lasted about 10 days, with total maceration of 21 to 25 days. The wine then went into new oak barrels for the malolactic fermentation, followed by 18 months of ageing; the barrels are made by the Tonnellerie des Domaines Barons in Pauillac. The 2022 blend was 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Beyond barrels, the estate uses foudres, amphorae and concrete vats to adapt to the identity of each vintage. Blason de L'Évangile has shorter barrel ageing than the Grand Vin; for the 2022, 80% of the wine went into French oak barrels that had held one wine and 20% into vats, for the malolactic fermentation and a maturation of about 16 months.

• 2022 Grand Vin: fermentation in concrete vats, malolactic fermentation in new oak barrels, 18 months of ageing.
• 2022 Grand Vin blend: 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Foudres, amphorae and concrete vats are used besides barrels to adapt to each vintage.
• 2022 Blason de L'Évangile: 81% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc; 80% in once-used French oak barrels, 20% in vats, about 16 months.

The estate makes the Grand Vin, Château L'Évangile, and a second wine, Blason de L'Évangile, both AOC Pomerol. Fruit for Blason de L'Évangile comes from clay-sand and silty sand slopes with a clayey subsoil, and the resulting wine is lighter in style and more fruit driven than the Grand Vin.

• Château L'Évangile: the Grand Vin, AOC Pomerol.
• Blason de L'Évangile: the second wine, AOC Pomerol, from clay-sand and silty sand slopes.

The estate cites an old edition of the "Grands vins de Bordeaux" that called Château L'Évangile "a full, elegant wine with an incomparable bouquet and finesse", and in its own words calls it "a balanced, powerful and round, sharp, and gentle wine." In the estate's own account, Blason de L'Évangile has similar characteristics to the Grand Vin and is a wine best enjoyed young.

• Grand Vin, in the estate's words: "a balanced, powerful and round, sharp, and gentle wine."
• Blason de L'Évangile: similar characteristics to the Grand Vin, best enjoyed young.

Primary sources (producer's own site, Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)): https://www.lafite.com/domaines/chateau-levangile/read/, https://winedirectory.lafite.com/en/the-wine-directory/product-1THTHE-chateau-levangile/, https://winedirectory.lafite.com/en/the-wine-directory/product-HITF1E-blason-de-levangile/. Secondary sources: Decanter (Jane Anson, 11 May 2021; Elin McCoy, 17 June 2022; Georgie Hindle, 1 May 2026). Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs. Last verified 2026-10-19