CHÂTEAU ANGÉLUS
2023 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
| Grapes | Cab Franc, Merlot |
| Colour | Red |
| Origin | France, Bordeaux |
| Sub-district | Saint Emilion & Satellites |
| Village | Saint Emilion |
| Classification | 1er Grand Cru Classé |
| ABV | 14% |
60 Merlot, 40 Cabernet Franc: 100% new oak with half of the Cabernet Franc goes into 30hl foudres for some of the Cabernet Franc: 14% alc: 3.6 pH: Harvest took place between 14 September with the first Merlot and 2 October with the last Cabernet Franc I have noted the expression ‘Barolo-like’ a couple of times in this vintage because some of the wines combine the fruit intensity and power of the greatest Piemontese wines, coupled with their trademark unshakable acid line, all delivered in a medium- to medium-plus-weight chassis. Strangely, a good few possess stunning wild cherry details, too. While none taste like Barolo, some wines have the same silhouette and similar levels of exquisite and faintly masochistic drama. Angélus does not have to work hard to engender drama in its wines; this 2023 is no exception. There is a glorious wave of flavour here, luxurious, near-decadent and detailed, but it is the way it nods to the past with its sense of place and then fully embraces modernity and purity with its pristine fruit that makes it a compelling proposition. All the action takes place on a pristine bed of bitingly clean acidity and ultra-fine-grained tannin. ’23 Angélus then piles glisteningly pure Merlot onto this platform and glazes it with stunningly aromatic Cabernet Franc. Benjamin Laforêt, estate research and development technical coordinator and the site manager of the Carillon winery, explained that he loved 2022 and 2023 Angélus equally and yet he would drink them on quite different occasions. 2022 would be for special dinners to be served with reverence and pomp, while the 2023 could be enjoyed with pals around the kitchen table. Leaving aside the fact that he must have a reasonably generous staff discount, I completely understood Benjamin’s thought process. The 2022 is admittedly a masterpiece and deserves respect and reverence, while this 2023 is more relaxed, open and gregarious. And while they are both equally delicious, this 2023 has a character and charm about it that makes the most of the Angélus terroir and its fabulous Cabernet Franc fruit. Chapeau. Rating: 19+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2024)
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Or, check the RELATED PRODUCTS below for different vintages or wines of a similar style.
Cocoa bean, liquorice, pomegranate, smoked earth, sage, anis, fennel, slate tannins, this combines nuanced and sinewy tannins with a generous supple expansion through the palate, building in power and impact. Beautifully fragrant, measured and skilful. 50% in foudres for Cabernet Franc, 50% new oak for the Merlot. Harvest September 14 through to October 1, Benjamin Laforest winemaker, Stephane de Boüard-Rivoal owner. Drinking range: 2030 - 2050 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)
The 2023 Angélus is elegant and polished right out of the gate. Floral top notes and bright acids bring out the more refined side of Angélus. The 2023 shows how much Angélus has evolved in recent years. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint and rose petal lend notable verve. The blend is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. About half of the Franc is being raised in foudre. All the elements are so well integrated for a young wine. It is one of the best recent vintages I have tasted. Drinking range: 2030 - 2053 Rating: 94-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
This is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, pretty much reflecting what is in the vineyard. This feels focused and perfumed, with remarkably floral fruits, violets and peonies, beneath which there are layers of griottes, white peach, blood orange and blackcurrants. The palate opens with a density and focused sinewy tension, building a controlled texture from the outset, with a supple and tightly controlled midpalate, underpinned by delicious tannins, tight knit and finely drawn. The fruit has the tense definition of the vintage, holding on to that floral perfume seen on the nose, adding a layer of interest to the fruit, before a finish which is clamped down with tightly drawn tannins. An impressive Angélus, very long and structured, in the style of the vintage. This will age well and should develop brilliant complexity from those Cabernets. Rating: 95-97 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
Château Angélus
The name Angélus supposedly derives from that of a particular vineyard where devout winemakers could hear the Angélus bell tolling from all the town’s churches.
The estate was brought by the present owner’s great-grandfather, Comte Maurice de Boüard, in 1921. He also owned another property Château Mazerat, and after World War II his sons united the two estates under its present name.
The next generation took over in the form of the dynamic Hubert de Boüard, a graduate oenologist from Bordeaux university, in 1985. Hubert felt that the Château was underperforming, and he has worked hard since to re-energise the property, aided by his cousin Jean-Bernard Grenié. Their commitment and investment was rewarded in 1996, when the Château was promoted to a Premier Grand Cru Classé.
Hubert's daughter, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, joined the team in 2012, and his nephew, Thierry Grenié de Boüard in 2016. Together they represent the eighth generation of the family to run Angélus.
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