One of Pomerol’s oldest vineyards, Château L’Évangile dates back to the mid-18th century, around the time that the commune’s first vineyards were being created. Initially named Fazilleau by its founders, the Leglise family, it was changed to L’Évangile after a local attorney purchased the land in the early 19th century. In 1862, the Château changed hands again, this time to Paul Chaperon, whose descendants, the Ducasse family, owned the estate until 1990. Chaperon’s impact was swift, and by 1900, L’Évangile was producing what was considered the third best wine in Pomerol. This attention prompted Chaperon to increase the size of the estate. Sadly, the estate suffered greatly from the notoriously deep frost of 1956. In 1957, Louis Ducasse took over its management, determined to restore the château to its past premier status. He succeeded, and upon his passing in 1982, his wife, Simone Ducasse, picked up the mantle and continued her late husband’s mission – the production of soft, fruity and exceptionally classic Merlot-dominant wine. 1990 brought a new owner – none other than Château Lafite Rothschild. First buying a 70% share, the Domaines de Rothschild completed the sale in 1999, and immediately began to renovate the environment for improved vinification – from a new vat room and cellar to newly designed oak barrels. Their efforts brought about a more refined Grand Vin as well as the introduction of a second wine, Blason de L’Évangile, specifically blended for earlier consumption than its counterpart. L’Évangile’s terroir features a rare surface gravel, and the property enjoys a unique position: Château Pétrus to the north, and Cheval Blanc to the south. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this blend yields a distinctive, fruity body tempered by structured finesse. While production is limited (harvests are still completed by hand), L’Évangile’s offerings remain, in the words of Baron Eric de Rothschild, “irresistible.”