x
  • Country ranking ?

    90
  • Producer ranking ?

    1
  • Decanting time

    4h
  • When to drink

    from 2025
  • Food Pairing

    Roasted game with mushrooms

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98-100 THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Opaque in color, the nose sense just picked black raspberries, wet earth, smoke, licorice, flowers and liqueur of blackberry. On the palate, the wine balances power, elegance, refinement and depth. Clearly this is concentrated but there is a lightness in the touch with a refined, precise character. The finish keeps on going with groundswells of sensually textured fruits, spice, licorice and earth for over 50 seconds! With the 2018 you have an evolution not a revolution; there is a small shift in style moving to a more refined elegance while retaining all its power. The wine was made from blending 65% (oops forgot the grape) and 35% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14.5% alcohol. it is interesting to note that with the 2018, only the oldest Cabernet Franc vines were used in the blend. The harvest took place September 24 to October 11. The yields were low at 30 hectoliters per hectare. This is the first vintage where all the vineyards used to produce Angelus were farmed 100% organically. The aging process has shifted as well, now 10% of the wine is aged in neutral foudres which will also go through malolactic fermentation in vat."


99-100 JAMES SUCKLING: "This shows beautifully sensibility of generous fruit and soft and velvety tannins with an undertone of chocolate and cedar. Full-bodied, pure and supple with a direct delivery of vibrant fruit and real terroir expression. Savory at the end with hazelnut and crunchy-seed flavors. Reality check here. Incredible fruit quality."

 

 

“This year we have slightly less Cabernet Franc in the blend because we are only using the oldest vines, planted by my grandfather, as a tribute,” Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal said. “These are 60- to 80-year-old Cabernet Franc vines.” From 2018, 10% of the entire Angélus crop will be aged in large oak foudres. “These produce tighter, more perfumed, brighter wines from less oxygen exposure,” Stéphanie commented. The 2018 Angélus is blended of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, to be aged 18-22 months in barriques, 100% new, plus two new foudres. Deep garnet-purple in color, it slips slowly, sensuously out of the glass with beautiful black raspberries, kirsch, warm plums and red roses scents, building in intensity to reveal chocolate-covered cherries, raspberry coulis, black tea, woodsmoke and powdered cinnamon notions with a waft of black olives and charcuterie. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a wonderfully profound, multilayered, seamless experience of red and black fruits intertwined with earth, spice and floral notions and framed by exquisitely ripe, satiny tannins, finishing with amazing freshness and length. Incredibly, finely, expertly, seamlessly knit. Stunning.

Score: 97/100

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (April 2019), April 2018

 

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The Story

Château Angelus is one of the largest and most prestigious St-Emilion estates and was promoted to1er grand cru classé status in the 1996 St-Emilion reclassification. Since 2012 ranked Premier grand cru classé (A) in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. Passionately managed for over four generations, Angelus is owned and run by two cousins, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, andJean-Bernard Grenie and is located in the centre-west of the St-Emilion appellation, due west of St-Emilion town.

 Chateau Angelus, which has been making wine in St-Emilion for almost 250 years, is still considered "new" for that appellation. It was founded by, and has always been run by, the de Bouard family. The name "Angelus" means the ringing of bells to commemorate a catholic devotion, and the workers in the Chateau Angelus vineyards can hear the bells ringing from three nearby churches...thus how the winery got its name. Although the quality of the wine has had some rough years, the quality of the terroir is one of the best in St-Emilion. And with some key education and talent emerging from the de Bouard family in the past 40 years, the winery is now realizing its potential and has rocketed to one of the top, most sought-after labels in the region. A blend of the merlot and cab franc, from perfectly balanced soils of limestone and clay, the real Cindarella story of Chateau Angelus in not the world class terroir or fruit, but of the winemaking practices that have been put in place over the past 40 years. Hubert de Boüard de Laforest joined the family business at Angélus in 1976 and proceeded to make several modernizing changes to the vinification that allows him more control over the quality. Under his management, and the consultancy of oenologist Michel Rolland, the estate has been consistently moving up in its classifications, eventually attaining Premier grand cru classe A in 2012. The style of Chateau Angelus is lush, dense and creamy, but also elegant, classy and pure with lots of freshness. There is a second wine, called Le Carillon d’Angélus, and a third wine, called No. 3 d’Angélus. You can see the bell, the Angelus, represented in the Chateau's label, cork, case and capsule markings, as well as in the elaborate sculpture that installed in the back of the main building. It makes it easy for you to imagine being transported to this majestic Bordeaux vineyard, hearing the bells ringing, smelling the sweet grapes, and feeling the sun warming you and the soil under your feet.

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Wine Information

Under the leadership of Hubert de Bouard since the mid 1980's, Angélus has been one of the superstars of Saint Emilion, producing modern-style, deep, concentrated and ripe wines full of richness and fruit. In 2012 Angélus (along with Pavie) joined Ausone and Cheval Blanc in achieving first growth status and Hubert's daughter Stephanie began to manage the estate. The 42 hectare vineyard is planted 50:50 Cabernet Franc and Merlot but 15 hectares are used for the second wine "Carillon" with only 27 hectares of 60-80 year old vines being used for the grand vin. In 2018 the yield is 30 hl/ha with a blend of 65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and Stephanie states that her aim is to produce a wine that is more refined and poised than in the past.

 

Winemaker Notes

Magnificient freshness in the Merlot, a selection of very old Cabernet Franc planted on clay-limestone soils and gentle extraction during vinification have combined to make this vintage a very great Chateau Angelus. A lovely depth of color attracts the eye. Perfect aromatic purity (the fruit of precision work on a daily basis), together with notes of black fruit give great charm on the nose. On the palate, a sweet note gives way to elegant tension with refined, velvety tannins. The alcohol (below that of 2010) and the oak are perfectly integrated. The finish is lingering, underpinned by the elegance of the Cabernet Franc, by the purity of the fruit, and accompanied by delicate spicy notes. 
Blend: 65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc

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Vintage 2018

2018 Bordeaux Vintage Report and recommendations

by Andrew Caillard MW

2018 is an exceptional year. The Bordeaux whites and sauternes are very good, but from an Australian perspective the excitement is all in the red wines. All sub regions produced examples of really good wines, but some performed better than others. Generally the very top estates made exemplary wines illustrating that the human factor and wealth can have a major impact on terroir! Over the last few weeks I have tasted around 350 to 400 wines, sometimes in large format forums like the UCG tastings or at various Chateaux. Nowadays it is difficult to taste the wines blind but density of colour, aromatic freshness, tannin density and overall balance are obvious indicators. In some instance I have tasted wines a few times enabling me to cross reference.

 

The weather until a few days ago has been clear with bright sunshine, warm days and a cool breeze. Temperatures have fallen now with more cloud cover and intermittent rains. While driving from Sauternes to St Emilion we drove through light hail but not enough to cause too many problems. In two weeks we have seen dormant vineyards and trees spring to life. The growing season is starting a touch early and of course people are worried about the chances of frost. After the devastating frost events of 2017 and the challenges created by hail and mildew during 2018, there is a feeling that climate change may well have an unpredictable impact on future  Bordeaux vintages.

 

 We have pretty tasted a good amount of primeurs wines now. As usual the vintage will be exaggerated. The growing season was near calamitous but long warm sunshine hours over summer cleaned everything up and allowed the grapes to ripen very really well. The colours, flavours, density and acidities are really impressive and as a consequence the vintage is generally quite exceptional. It is difficult to truly understand the overall crop losses as producers are understandably quite cagey. But they vary from almost nothing to less than a third. At Ch Climens in Sauternes Barsac I would estimate the crop being around 20% of the average. When one considers that this estate lost its whole crop in 2017 from frost, the shock must be keenly felt. Mother Nature has been particularly cruel of late. The narrative of the growing season will inevitably create a negative impression, but few people will remember the details in years to come. They will only remember the wine. For some people with long memories they believe the vintage is like 1947 or 1961. If this is the case, this is not just an exceptional vintage, this is something beyond the norm. An immortal year. The concentration, weight, and vitality of the wines are impressive. Despite the amazing tannin density, saturated colours and flavours, the wines are actually quite easy to taste, indicating remarkable balance and life.

 

In my opinion the strongest sub regions are Pauillac and St Julien – which have both produced wines of great consistency and classicism. They are powerfully expressive with pronounced ripe tannins and pure fruit flavours. The combination of better micro-climatic conditions, wealth and physical resources helped with the result. Ch Pontet Canet is an outlier because of its approach to biodynamic viticulture. It suffered terribly from mildew and has produced only a third of the crop. The wine is markedly different from wines like Ch Latour or Ch Pichon Lalande, but its overall buoyancy and richness of fruit is compelling. It also stands for something that is worthwhile and important. 

 

I always think of Pauilac as being the reference for Bordeaux. Typically the wines are extremely expressive with pure cassis cedar aromas and fine grainy tannins. This year the wines are particularly dense and inky with plentiful graphite tannins. They are not at all sinewy or soupy and hence when the tannins settle down the wines will be exceptional.

There are many outstanding wines from Pauillac including Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Ch Pichon Longueville Baron, Ch Lynch Bages, Ch Batailley, Ch d’Armailhac and Ch Grand Puy Lacoste. The first growths Ch Latour, Ch Mouton Rothschild and Ch Lafite Rothschild are very impressive. Their second wines Les Forts de Latour, Petit Mouton and Carruades are also of very high quality.

 

Neighbouring St Julien has also performed very well. Ch Ducru Beaucaillou and Ch Leoville Lascases probably lead the pack but Ch Leoville Barton, Ch Leoville Poyferré, Ch Gruaud Larose, Ch Talbot and Close de Marquis are all exceptionally well made wines

 

St Estephe is variable. Some estates controlled the volume and consistency of tannin very well and made classical wines. These include Cos d’Estournel, Ch Montrose, Ch TronquoyLalande, Ch Phelan Segur and Ch Canon Segur. Other examples were in my opinion excessively brutish in structure. For those willing to keep the wines for a decade or two, many of them will eventually come

around.

Margaux is also variable and does not always have the density of fruit to go with the tannins. Yet one of my favourite wines of the vintage is Ch Palmer which is magical. In fact I think it is the wine of the vintage. Ch Prieuré Lichine, Brane Cantenac, Giscours and Marquis de Terme were all good. Ch Margaux and Pavillon Rouge were of course well above the average. 

 

Subregions Moulis, Listrac and Haut Medoc wines are all over the place yet there are some genuine highlights including Esmond de Rothschild’s Ch Clarke, Ch Cantemerle and Ch Beaumont. 

 

Graves and Pessac Leognan have produced wines of varying quality yet again the very top Chateaux including Ch HautBailly, Ch La Mission Haut Brion and Ch Haut Brion have made impressive grand vins. Ch Smith Haut Lafitte has really moved up the hustings and has made a really good wine this year. 

 

St Emilion is a fascinating tapestry of colour and movement this year making some truly outstanding wines. Ch Cheval Blanc, Ch Ausone, Ch Belair Monange, Ch Fourtet, Ch Figeac, Ch Canon and Ch Pavie have all produced wines of richness and impact. I also enjoyed Ch La Dominique and the Burgundian-like Tertre Roteboeuf. But there is more inconsistency on the flats and fringes of the region. However as is often the case the value can be found best with lesser names who have prevailed well. This includes a few wines in the nearby Cotes de Castillon which may represent good value.

 

Pomerol is more consistent than St Emilion but there is also some variability. Ch Petrus, Vieux Chateau Certan, Ch Certande May, Ch Latour a Pomerol, Ch Gazin, Lafleur, Lafleur Petrus and Ch Trotanoy made really terrific wine but there were some instances where the wines were lighter in weight and probably less appealing. On reflection I think Pomerol vies for line honours. The wines are amazingly impressive with beautiful polish, suppleness and concentration. There are many instances where second wines have performed 

2018 is not a very great Sauternes Barsac year and the quality is dependent on the producer and how much of the crop was picked before the rain and humidity finally arrived to promote botrytis in the vineyards. My clear favourite is Ch Climens. Although I always see it in parts, the end result promises to be outstanding.  Rieussec, de Fargues and Lafaurie Peyragueyare are standouts.

 

As you will see from my tasting notes there are many great wines. This year it is going to be very hard to make a bad decision. Although the big names have made impressive wines there are stacks of lesser known or lower profile estates that have made promising young wines. Over the next year they will continue to evolve and mature in barrel, building more complexity and allowing the tannins to settle down. 

As regards whether it is a great vintage, I think it is safe to say that it is a remarkable year with many very great wines made. In some ways it is a miracle year considering the challenges and disappointments of the growing season. Most observers will agree that the 2018 vintage, specifically the red wines, is in the same league as the greatest vintages including 2015, 2010 and 2009 etc. Some winemakers are also suggesting its very similar to 1947 or 1961. 

But 2018 is also an atypical year – whatever that means these days. The weather patterns are more difficult to predict and no one can really second guess what God plans for this forthcoming season. Thankfully the predicted cold snap last night did not damage the emerging new growth. But the unseasonable warm start to the growing season and clear skies has everyone on edge

 

Andrew Caillard, MW

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Tasting note

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Written Notes

While the estate is totally committed to its ongoing conversion to organic-growing, the work in the vineyard up till mid-July was made particularly challenging by the weather conditions. However, by being constantly at the ready in the vines and uncompromisingly persistent in our work, and with close monitoring on a daily basis, we were able to successfully overcome these difficulties. Then, from July 15 on, exceptional anti-cyclonic conditions set in and continued right through to the end of the harvesting. As a result, a normal crop was produced in terms of quantity and above all a magnificent one in terms of quality. 

With wonderfully fresh Merlot, a selection of very old Cabernet Franc from clay-limestone soils and gentle extractions during the vinification, a truly great vintage of Château Angélus was made. A deep colour immediately catches the eye. Perfect aromatic purity mingling with black fruit notes offers great charm on the nose. On the palate, a touch of sweetness gives way to elegant tension with velvety, refined tannins. The alcohol (lower than in 2010) and the oak are perfectly integrated. The lingering finish is underpinned by the elegance of the Cabernet Franc and the purity of the fruit, intermixed with delicate hints of spice. 

 

Harvest: 24th September to 11th October
Blend: 65 % Merlot, 35 % Cabernet Franc

The aromas are incredibly complex with dark berries, elderberries, bay leaves, cloves and tile, follow through to a full body with layers of creamy and lightly dusty tannins that deliver a lingering finish and great attention to detail. The flavors range from black fruit to earth and stones. It’s reserved and poised with great intensity and power, in a toned and formed mode. One for the cellar. Try after 2026.

  • 99p

Angelus - 65% Merlot + 35% Cabernet Franc. Stephanie de Bouard-Rivoal, daughter of Hubert de Bouard, took over management and vinification in 2015. She's aimed to change the style of Angelus her father practised, meaning she wanted to reduce the amount of new oak used in the vinification, obtain more freshness and make more delicate grained tannin. She explained in ZOOM interview with me in the mid-December 2020 that she felt she really succeeded with this style changing in 2018 vintage. For me, it was quite a metamorphosis, because remembering barrel sample of same wine tasted in April 2019 being heavy, extracted and oaky, now it turning into sublime, sophisticated and incredibly complex wine. Imposing effort for sure and woman touch wine for real! 98p

  • 98p

An exceptional wine starting a new era at Château Angélus. The colour is of intense purple with violet hue and black core. The nose shows a rich and multi-layered character with excellent aromatic depth. Aroma reminiscent of ripe blackberries, black cherries and sweet elderberries, mild spices and liquorice, with a slightly flowery touch in the background. On the palate well structured with excellent depth and length, complex flavour repeating aromatic components of the nose, complex wine with wonderful freshness and a extremely promising potential.

  • 98p

The grand vin, the 2018 Angélus, is magical juice in 2018 as well as possibly one of the wines of the vintage. While it shows a slightly more elegant style compared to past great vintages, it doesn’t lack for depth, density or richness. Thrilling notes of crème de cassis, toasted spice, graphite, incense, and tobacco leaf all flow to a full-bodied, powerful Saint-Émilion that has seamless tannins, a stacked mid-palate, no hard edges, and a finish that just won’t quit. Reminding me of an improved 2009, it’s going to be drinkable with just short-term cellaring and keep for 30 years or more. The blend of the 2018 is 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc that will spend 18-22 months in new barrels (and a small portion in foudre as well). Hats off to director Emmanuelle d’Aligny-Fulchi for keeping this estate at the top of the hierarchy in Saint-Émilion! Barrel Sample: 97-99.

  • 99p

A very inviting style, with warmed fig and plum sauce notes taking the lead, picking up swaths of cocoa, tobacco and roasted alder along the way. Features plenty of pumping bass, but if you pay attention, there’s a laser of chalky minerality driving the finish. When the baby flesh drops away, this will be almost perfect!

  • 99p

Ruby. Scented, layered, detailed, elegant nose, blackberries, dark fruits, spices, dense, minerals. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, blueberries, spices, dark fruits, layered, deep, blackberries, touch of tobacco, incredible depth and complexity, almost hitting another level, long. A new level of precision for me, incredible. 99-100

  • 100p

Deep crimson. Very attractive wine with red plum, cranberry, dark cherry aromas with vanilla notes. Chalky textured wine with lovely generous red cherry, cranberry, mulberry fruits, looseknit lacy tannins, attractive mid palate richness and long fresh mineral notes. Very good wine.

  • 96p
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Information

Origin

St. Emilion, Bordeaux

Inside Information

This is a wonderful Angélus with masses of oak and fruit and it can handle this intensity with ease. The power is magnificent and the richness and weight is amazing, too. Considering how tannic and oaky a lot of the other wines are on this side of the river, they could all take a leaf out of this wine’s book because it shows you just how carefully balanced a big wine can be. There is some exoticism here as well as awesome length and this is certainly one of the finest Saint-Emilions of the vintage. I was delighted to taste this wine this year, because I missed my appointment late one afternoon and flew past the following day only to be confronted with monsoon conditions in the carpark and a looming, lengthy drive to Graves for my next tasting only 45 minutes after I pulled into Angélus. So, apologies for my brief tasting note and apologies to the Angélus representative who I almost knocked over on the stairs as I rushed, dripping wet, out of the tasting room. As karma would have it I earned a speeding ticket and a 90 euro fine, on the next leg of my itinerary, for my sins!

Score: 19+Matthew Jukes, MatthewJukes.com, April 2019

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