Château Angelus 2016

Tasted in November 2021. 60% Merlot + 40% C. Franc, 14.5% alcohol.  Quite similar to 2015 in terms of concentration and upfront fruitiness. Felt a bit alcoholic on the nose with morello cherries, excellently structured palate with lush berries and fine tannins. It's more elegant and with more finesse than 2015. Eminent wine. 

3 months of summer without water: never before seen in the living memory of winegrowers! This surprising weather, and these incredible conditions, promise us a great, unpredictable and unexpected vintage. Until 20 June, the weather did not spare us, inflicting very heavy rainfall of about 750 mm, which corresponds to the total annual rainfall for a dry year in Bordeaux... In spite of these conditions, flowering went well. Fine weather set in from the last week of June and, quite remarkably, remained right up to the harvest. We had a sunny but rather cool July, with cold nights. By the end of July, the sea temperature was much lower than usual for this period. And not a drop of rain. August saw temperatures climb, with heatwaves of over 35 degrees some days.

Nevertheless, the day / night temperature ratio was 2 to 1 throughout the month, highly favourable for aromatic expression in our grapes and maintaining freshness in the fruit. To this can be added the almost complete absence of rain, only 5 to 8 mm, or the strict minimum to allow the vine to rehydrate. And that is why the very young vines began to suffer. The oldest vines, especially on clay and/or limestone soils, resisted magnificently (the limestone and clay work like sponges, absorbing water when it rains and redistributing it during drought). "In more than 35 years of observing the vineyard, I have always been accustomed to storms on 14 July and 15 August. This year, not a bit! The summer continued through September, and with it the heat: daily temperatures of 28, 30 degrees. A severe storm was forecast for mid-September. We were all quaking in our boots. But the menacing white and grey clouds finally turned into beneficial rain, first 19 then 4 mm. This rain fallen from the heavens gave back energy, strength and breath to our vineyard. Then the good weather quickly returned. The tannins are ripening slowly and picking begins at the start of October for the grands vins. The cool nights have preserved the aromas and the acidity. The weather forecast for the coming two weeks lets us look forward to a calm harvest, picking as we wish, and allowing us to hope for and expect another great vintage at Angélus! A radiant vintage in the image of this three-month summer that fixed its destiny and shaped its identity."

Harvest: 4th to 21 October
Blend: 60 % Merlot, 40 % Cabernet Franc

It was something winemakers had never seen in their memory: three months without water. It is in this context that Chateau Angelus, Premier Cru Classé A, created their wines. With beneficial rains mid-September, and the remarkable Indian summer that followed, the Chateau Angelus team took a calm, leisurely approach to their harvest (lasting from the 4th to the 21st of October), allowing their Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon to reach their optimal maturity. The 2016 Angelus, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, is a wonderful expression of the exceptional character of this vintage.

With a very dark inky colour, the 2016 Chateau Angelus displays on the nose sensual and dark notes of cedar and bitter orange peels, and a powerful sensation of freshness and tension. Aeration in the glass develops luscious (but not excessive) fruit notes of ripe blackberries and blueberries, with a bright and inviting purity. Smelling this wine is like biting into the ripe grape. Yet, at this time, the nose still hides the richness and depth that this wine will one day provide. The palate is precise and dynamic, with a meaty mid-palate, and silky with creamy tannins. The structure of the wine is impressive, with excellent balance, and it nearly seems to be drinkable now. The whole is impressive and superb, making Angelus among the most exceptional wines of the vintage, with extraordinary ageing potential. 

Deep colour. Black cherry, liquorice. Dark chocolate touch marzipan aromas. Lovely plush black cherry, blackberry chocolate flavours, roasted chestnut flavours, ultra fine grainy plentiful tannins. Finishes chalky finish. Fresh acidity. Touch saline, very attractive. Tasted at Ch Angelus. 96 points