A vintage of precision and aromatic purity, this is one of the finest Angélus wines ever made. A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the nose is heady and complex, filled with dark chocolate, cherries, blackcurrants, violets and rose. On the palate, it’s silky, scintillating and fresh, with a crystalline clarity and balance that feels almost effortless. Chalky yet creamy tannins add depth, while flashes of heat and liquorice spice on the finish bring structure and length. Juicy, deep and incredibly moreish, this dances across the palate with finesse and vibrancy. A wine of energy, persistence, and sheer sophistication. 100% new oak (50% Cabernet Franc in foudre). 3.7 pH. 75 IPT.
This is a powerful Angelus, showing incredible depth and intensity as well as tannins that are totally melted into the wine, giving incredible energy for such a young bottle. It makes me think of the great reds of the 1940s or 1950s but with modern precision. Full-bodied but agile, this has endless length, the blackberries and crushed stones, light herbs and dark chocolate showing throughout. Such balance. Al dente. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. So attractive now but will age forever.
96-98 Barrel sample. This is a beautifully floral wine featuring ripe black fruits and delicious acidity. It is structured with polished tannins that are deceptively soft, but still offer texture and the ripest blackberry flavors. It is a great wine for long-term aging.
Brought up 22 months in a mix of new barrels, foudre, and once-used barrels, the 2023 Château Angelus is based on a classic blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Gorgeously pure crème de cassis and black cherries are supported by graphite, spring flowers, smoke, and a terrific sense of crushed stone. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate and has a pure, graceful, layered mouthfeel, ultra-fine, focused tannins, and a great finish. It's about as classy as they come. Drink this aristocratic, layered, sensationally complete Saint-Emilion from 2030-2060.
TWI
98pts
The Wine Independent
This Bordeaux, a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc from the Angélus team, is made in the Carillon d’Angélus cellars on the main road out towards Castillon, and the vines (all 50 hectares of them) are in the Castillon appellation. After sorting the vinification takes place in large stainless steel vats, after which 30% is matured in new oak barrels in the Carillon cellars for twelve months, while the other 70% remains in stainless steel. Lovely, fresh, grained, perfumed red cherry fruit on the nose, with toasted pip and a touch of chocolate. The texture is bright and pure, with a supple midpalate, very pure and underpinned by a finessed frame of tannins. A linear and fresh limestone drive here, with fresh raspberry and toast notes, before a sappy finish. The alcohol on the palate is 14.5%.
The 2022 Angélus has turned out beautifully in bottle, reflecting the estate's shift toward a livelier, more integrated style. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet cherries, blackberries and mulberries mingled with rose petals and violets, it's full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, with a deep, enveloping core of succulent fruit, integrated tannins and a long, perfumed finish. It was bottled in the last week of July 2024.
The 2022 Angélus has an understated nose, tightly wound black fruit, cedar and touches of pencil box. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, quite structured, perhaps with a little Cabernet Franc in the mix? Linear on the finish, you would not guess this to be from such a warm growing season. This really seems to benefit from the addition of the old Cabernet Franc vines. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.